By Lisa Zengarini

Gender violence, the right to education, international solidarity and the right to privacy in the digital context, are amongst the topics that are being discussed at the 47th Session of the Human Rights Council taking place from 21 June to 13 July in Geneva.

In a statement to the meeting on gender violence, and specifically on rape, on June 28, the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva reiterated that silence over these crimes, impunity of abusers and impassivity or indifference are “intolerable” and that any violence against women, including domestic violence, constitutes “a grave violation of human rights”.

The right to life of children conceived as a result of sexual violence 

At the same time, the Holy See reaffirmed the rights and dignity of children conceived as a result of sexual violence, beginning with their right to life. ”These children – it said - should not become the collateral victims of the abhorrent violence perpetrated against women. Rather, they need to be supported and loved”. ”Respect for human life and for every person, from conception to natural death, is the starting point for overcoming a culture of violence”, the Vatican statement reiterated.

Solidarity is more necessary than ever 

Regarding international solidarity, which was discussed on 24 June, the Holy See emphasized that in this difficult time of pandemic the principle of solidarity “is more necessary than ever”, noting, with Pope Francis, that in addition to COVID-19, the “virus of individualism” has spread across the globe giving the illusion that the laws of the market or intellectual property could be placed over the laws of love and the health of humanity”.  It therefore urged actors at all levels, including national and local authorities, international organizations and businesses, “to foster a spirit of mutual solidarity rather than competition and to commit themselves to seeking concrete and durable solutions to the challenges posed by isolationism”. In this regard the Holy See reiterated its call on States, multilateral agencies and private partners to implement a waiver on intellectual property rights in order to ensure universal access to Covid-19 care and vaccines.

Making education accessible to all

On the same day, the Vatican’s Permanent Mission intervened on the right to education calling for “a robust and holistic approach to education” and emphasizing the need of making education accessible to all. “The neglect and underfunding of the public educational system raise concern because a system whereby the accessibility of education is determined by a family’s wealth will have long-term negative impacts on society and further entrench inequalities along socio economic lines”, the statement noted.  The Holy See also highlighted the fundamental role of parents in providing for quality education for their children, specifically with regard to their moral and religious formation. “Indeed parents have the right and responsibility to ensure that their children receive an adequate and holistic education that is capable of promoting the wellbeing of children in all of their human dimensions, including the physical, mental, moral, spiritual and social”, it said.

Parents' rights in educating their children  

The right to privacy in the context of the digital world was discussed by the session on 2 July. On this issue, the Holy See  emphasized that it is of the “utmost importance to address more effectively the protection of the dignity of children in the digital world”. To this end the it  called for a closer cooperation and a “firm commitment” on the part of every member of society, “especially parents”, who are “fundamental to their integral human development”.There is 

No right to reproductive sexual information and services, including abortion

In this regard the Vatican’s Permanent Mission warned against the negative approach “in which the rights of the child are in opposition to the legitimate rights and responsibilities of parents, saying a positive approach is needed instead “one that embraces and supports the constructive and necessary role of parents in protecting and educating their children”. Accordingly, the mandatory parental notification and/or consent for prescribed contraceptives and abortion should “not be considered an infringement on the right to privacy”, as “international law does not recognize a so-called right to "reproductive sexual information and services", the Holy See reiterated.

By Linda Bordoni

Pope Francis reminded the faithful on Sunday, 11 July, that today is Sea Sunday: “dedicated in a special way to all those who rely on the sea for their work and livelihood."

Celebrated annually, Sea Sunday, is a day for people to come together to pray for seafarers and fishers and thank them for the vital role they play in all of our lives.

As Pope Francis points out, it is also a day in which to highlight the importance of caring for the sea and its ecosystem.

Speaking after the Angelus prayer, the Pope said he is praying for seafarers and he exhorted everyone to take care of the oceans and of the seas.

“Take care of the health of the sea: no plastic in the sea!” he said.

8 million tons plastic enter the ocean every year

UN figures show 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean annually, killing marine life and feeding into the human food chain.

Pope Francis makes many references to the need to care for oceans and seas in his encyclical “Laudato sì, On Care for Our Common Home”. In paragraphs 40-41, he writes: "Oceans not only contain the bulk of our planet’s water supply, but also most of the immense variety of living creatures, many of them still unknown to us and threatened for various reasons...Particularly threatened are marine organisms which we tend to overlook, like some forms of plankton; they represent a significant element in the ocean food chain, and species used for our food ultimately depend on them...In tropical and subtropical seas, we find coral reefs comparable to the great forests on dry land, for they shelter approximately a million species, including fish, crabs, molluscs, sponges and algae. Many of the world’s coral reefs are already barren or in a state of constant decline. 'Who turned the wonderworld of the seas into underwater cemeteries bereft of colour and life.'"

In a letter to business leaders at a 2018 Vatican conference on the fourth World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, he said “We cannot allow our seas and oceans to be littered by endless fields of floating plastic.” 

“We need to pray as if everything depended on God’s providence, and work as if everything depended on us,” he said.