CNS STORY: Vatican signs treaties against drug trade, organized crime, terrorism

VATICAN-TREATIES Jan-26-2012 (400 words) xxxi

Vatican signs treaties against drug trade, organized crime, terrorism

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican has signed three international treaties supporting the fight against the illegal drug trade, financing terrorism and organized crime.

By signing onto these international legal instruments Jan. 25, the Vatican "confirms its intention as well as its effective and practical commitment to collaborate with the international community in a manner consistent with its nature and mission, with a view to guaranteeing international peace and justice," wrote Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican secretary for relations with states.

The Vatican released copies of its declarations supporting the three treaties Jan. 26.

The Vatican ratified the U.N. Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances to help "contribute and to give its moral support to the global prevention, repression and prosecution of drug abuse and the related problem of illicit trafficking in narcotics and psychotropic substances," wrote the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who certified the declarations.

The Vatican is adhering to the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, the cardinal wrote, in an effort "to contribute and to give its moral support to the global prevention, repression and prosecution of terrorism and to the protection of victims of such crimes."

"Instruments of criminal and judicial cooperation constitute effective safeguards in the face of criminal activities that jeopardize human dignity and peace," he wrote.

The Vatican is also adhering to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime as "the Holy See upholds the values of brotherhood, justice and peace between persons and peoples, whose protection and strengthening require the primacy of the rule of law and respect for human rights," wrote Cardinal Bertone.

Archbishop Mamberti wrote in a separate note that the adoption of the three instruments reflects the determination to bring the Vatican "into compliance with the most rigorous internationally agreed rules," especially concerning the financing of terrorism and money laundering.

Such international collaboration renders "the fight against terrorism, money laundering and drug trafficking, as well as organized transnational crime, even more determined," he wrote.

The archbishop added that given current concerns over "serious and repeated acts of violence for religious motives, all too frequently against Christians, I consider it necessary to underline that this kind of international cooperation may help, in the future, to prevent and combat such grave attacks on the life and religious freedom of every human being."

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