The Holy See and the codification of international law. An assessment of its contribution

This paper focuses on the contribution of the Holy See to the codification of contemporary public international law. In the aftermath of the institution of the ILC, and particularly from 1960s, several fields of international law experienced codification and progressive development. Although not formally a member of the United Nations, the Holy See participated to all the Conferences of Plenipotentiaries convened by the General Assembly. It actively contributed to the process of codification, always promoting the values of justice, equity, dignity and morality. In a historical moment characterised by ideological and political oppositions, the Holy See, free from any material interest, sought to shed light on moral reflections, which were seriously at risk of remaining marginal. This is particularly evident in the analysed contexts of the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular relations, on the Representation of States in Their Relations with International Organizations and on the Law of the Sea, in which the Holy See acted both as the guardian of the ancient customs and as the moral guide of mankind. It remained always committed to the fundamental values which constitute the reason of its mission in the world and the ultimate aim of the whole family of nations.