Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
October 19, 2009

The Vatican’s foreign affairs minister has called for the establishment of a “nuclear-free zone” in the Middle East and urged all countries to work toward the elimination of their nuclear arsenals. In a statement released on Sept. 24, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti said, “Nuclear-weapons-free zones are the best example of trust, confidence and affirmation that peace and security are possible without nuclear weapons.” The U.N. Security Council held a summit meeting the same day to discuss nuclear disarmament. Under nuclear-free treaties, nations agree to ban the development and use of nuclear weapons in a defined area. The United States has not signed such a treaty, though it has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which aims at limiting the spread of nuclear weapons. The Security Council summit adopted a resolution calling for tighter controls on nuclear materials and encouraging the enforcement of international treaties dealing with nuclear nonproliferation.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Pope Francis greets Professor Joseph Stiglitz at the "Debt Crisis in the Global South" meeting at the Vatican in June 2024 (Vatican Media)
An interview on economics and Catholic social teaching with Joseph E. Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize winning economist and a professor at Columbia University.
Kevin ClarkeApril 03, 2025
Lesson one: I had to buy more stamps.
Valerie SchultzApril 03, 2025
Celebrating the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea should give new energy to evangelization efforts, a new document from the International Theological Commission says.
In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell walk us through the pontiff’s recovery, including “slight improvements” in his speech.
Inside the VaticanApril 03, 2025