​​​​​​​LONDON

The Vatican's permanent observer to the UN warned on Saturday that the accelerating race to rearmament puts global peace at risk and erodes the foundations of international trust and cooperation, according to the Vatican News.

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia urged world leaders to recommit to disarmament and revive multilateral dialogue to safeguard humanity’s future in an address to the General Debate of the First Committee of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The "spirit of diplomacy and multilateralism" that once sought to protect humanity from the scourge of war is being overshadowed by "the perilous resurgence of force and fear as ways to resolve disputes," he said.

He said the erosion of trust and dialogue is weakening cooperation and deepening the suffering of vulnerable communities around the world.

Caccia expressed concern at the renewed rhetoric surrounding the use of nuclear weapons and the expansion of nuclear arsenals.

He denounced a "new arms race" driven by the integration of AI into military systems and the extension of competition into outer space.

These developments pose an "unprecedented danger to humanity," he added.

Touching on emerging technologies, he voiced alarm at the development of lethal autonomous weapons systems and urged member states to support UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call to conclude a legally binding instrument banning the weapons by 2026.