Position Papers

Continued solidarity with the people of Ukraine

The Secretaries General of the European Justice and Peace Commissions met in Berlin between the 9th and 11th February, as an alternative to the scheduled place of Lviv, which was not considered safe enough due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. In Berlin, we listened to refugees from Ukraine and to organisations supporting them. On Saturday evening we prayed for peace in front of the Russian embassy and on Sunday, we celebrated the Holy Eucharist together with the local Ukrainian Greek-Catholic parish… Read more »

Make the transition towards a people-centred and sustainable economy finally happen

The Catholic Justice and Peace Networks of the Patria Grande, bringing together 14 Commissions and Teams that work for Justice and Peace in the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean, and Justice and Peace Europe, bringing together 32 European National Commissions for Justice and Peace, wish to call on the upcoming CELAC-EU Summit of Heads of State and Government (Brussels, 17-18 July 2023) to agree on necessary steps for a transition towards a people-centred and sustainable economy… Read more »

Public Consultation on proposed regulations on the Contractor’s Licence

The Justice and Peace Commission welcomes this public consultation and believes that if it is robust enough and its implementation properly enforced, the proposed regulations on the Contractor’s licence can be a step in the right direction. Also, we are aware that measures concerning who can enter the construction market as a contractor on their own, while important, cannot provide a comprehensive solution to all the well-known problems affecting this industry… Read more »

Respect for international nuclear disarmament agreements is not a form of weakness, but a source of strength

With Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its consequences, the world seems to have regressed into a new Cold War dynamic, involving a dangerous rhetoric with threats of use of nuclear weapons. Eroding respect for the principles of international law, including arms control agreements, undermines trust within the international community. Along with renewed strategic rivalry among nuclear powers and evolving technologies, this makes the scenario of an intentional or accidental nuclear detonation very real… Read more »

Peace is the fruit of Justice

On 24 February 2022 the Russian government launched a brutal and undeclared invasion of Ukraine. Like many civil society actors, Justice and Peace Europe immediately condemned the Russian aggression. Today, as secretaries general of Justice and Peace Commissions in Europe we reaffirm on the foundation of our Christian values and convictions that whilst diplomacy remains essential, some principles are non-negotiable, in particular respect for the dignity of every human being, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and the imperative of non-aggression, which is the basis for peaceful coexistence… Read more »

Forging a new culture of peace – A strategy for Europe

Surveying global affairs today may leave us with a sense of disorientation, unpredictability or even fear. European nations are confronted and challenged on the global stage with fragile trust in international legal frameworks and multilateral mechanisms, even if seeds of hope seem to be emerging with the revival of the transatlantic partnership. The Conference of European Justice and Peace Commissions, composed of more than thirty national commissions is convinced that the way forward for Europe as a whole is to be found in the development of a new culture of peace… Read more »

Draw the right lessons from the pandemic now, save millions of lives

In a joint statement, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and Justice and Peace Europe call on the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU) and their member states to strengthen their commitment to equitable global vaccine supply and global health issues ahead of the joint AU-EU Summit.

Bishop Noël Treanor, president of Justice and Peace Europe, notes that the consequences of the pandemic are hitting particularly hard those who were already struggling before the pandemic: “Refugees and homeless people, often living in precarious conditions, live in constant fear of infection and are even more isolated than before… Read more »

Reaction to Foreign Policy Strategy document

The Justice and Peace Commission welcomes the publication of Malta’s first Foreign Policy Strategy document and the commitment expressed in the document to use “diplomacy to make the world a better place to live”. Guided by the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, the Commission participated in the consultation process by submitting a document with reflections on the following four points:

  • Overseas development aid
  • Climate justice
  • Human rights
  • Tax justice

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Freedom of movement and its limits: a challenge for democracies

Twenty years ago, the French intellectual Marcel GAUCHET warned us that democracy, having conquered its external enemies, was now facing its most formidable challenge: its own survival. Indeed, the migratory flows in the wake of what has been called the Arab Spring, particularly at the borders of Europe in recent weeks, the tensions of Brexit and two years of the pandemic, show that the exercise of certain fundamental rights can undermine others… Read more »