(Vatican Radio) The Holy See has addressed the XIV Ministerial Conference of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The full text of the intervention is below.
Intervention of H.E. Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, Apostolic Nuncio,
Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Office and other
International Organizations in Geneva
at the XIV Ministerial Conference of UNCTAD
Nairobi, 19th July 2016
Mr. President,
At the outset, the Holy See wishes to thank warmly the Government of Kenya and the city of Nairobi for hosting this Ministerial Conference. The theme “From Decision to Action: moving toward an inclusive and equitable global economic environment for trade and development” clearly signals the ambition and intent we must bring to the attention of the international community.
1. The Holy See strongly supported the original aspiration of UNCTAD which aimed at creating a global trading system supporting the development of poor countries: a system able to promote the rebalancing of international economic relations to promote justice and equity, to promote social progress and better standards of life in greater freedom, to create a better and more effective system of international economic cooperation, as part of a new and just global economic order whereby the division of the world into areas of poverty and plenty may be overcome and prosperity achieved by all. This system facilitates regional trade and corrects imbalances between different trade partners, with special concern for trade in raw materials and food. The last conference in Doha took place during a critical phase of the world economic crisis which left many governments struggling to offset the effects of financial retrenchments in banks, businesses and households as they seek to correct their balance sheets. In this context, many developed economies have turned to “unconventional” monetary policy instruments in efforts at recovery.
2. The trade slowdown of the last three years has been widespread across most of the developing and developed countries. Average trade growth rates for all regions are now very low and just a fraction of what they were in the pre-crisis period. The reasons for the ongoing trade slowdown are to be found in a variety of factors. While some of these factors are likely to have only temporary effects and are possible cyclical in nature, others are likely to be more long lasting and related to structural shifts. As usual, it is very difficult to make predictions, but there are still valid reasons to believe that trade growth in the future will be driven by different factors than in the past. This implies that developing countries willing to benefit from international trade should be ready to adapt their trade strategies by taking into account some of the recent changes in trends in international trade. Economic and financial actors, both at the international and national levels, need to recognize that economic activities function not only through self-regulation of the market and agreements limited to reconciling the interests of the most powerful countries, but they need also to take into account that they are at the service of persons who work and contribute to development. Most importantly any development and growth strategy needs to be centred on the human person and on the primacy of human work. The Holy See believes that in order to achieve this result it is of primary importance to integrate the different social and economic dimensions of development, so as to create an international system balanced on an idea of development that would be truly sustainable, inclusive and equitable at all levels.
3. In this sense, agriculture plays a crucial role in the economy of poor countries: it accounts for more than one fourth of the GDP and more than a third of employment, reaching more than 50% in the poorest countries. Promoting agricultural productivity is important for several reasons. First, it addresses the problem of food insecurity which still plagues a large part of the population of LDCs. Despite the recent improvement in economic conditions throughout the world hunger is still claiming too many lives among the poorest Agricultural development is also crucial in terms of global sustainability. It is well known that in developing countries there is a high concentration of forest and ecosystems that are crucial for ecological development. In these countries agricultural production is intimately linked with natural resources exploitation, deforestation and biodiversity preservation. The opportunity to combine agricultural development with ecological sustainability has too enormous stakes and consequences for the entire planet for it not to be considered a priority action.
In this respect, trade can be an important channel for fostering agricultural development in local communities; moreover, the development of small farmers and small producers could be vital not only in reducing poverty but also in providing new ways for preserving local ecosystems. In the agricultural sector there is in fact the danger that its development could ultimately damage small farmers. Civil authorities have the right and duty to adopt clear and firm measures in support of small producers and differentiated production
4. The international trading system is regulated by an increasing number of preferential trade agreements (PTAs). Most of the recent trade agreements address not only goods but also services, and deal with rules beyond reciprocal tariff concessions. The Holy See strongly stresses the importance of recognising a primacy of multilateral agreements over bilateral and regional ones. Despite its limits and its complexity, the multilateral framework gives pluralism a universal dimension and facilitates an inclusive dialogue. More specifically in a multilateral framework weaker and smaller countries are better safeguarded than in a regional and bilateral setting where the counterparts are large and strong countries. In such asymmetric settings advanced economies inevitably have more bargaining power with respect to LDCs, with the result that the latter are not fully able to benefit from the agreements.
5. The issue of foreign debt and the alleviation of the debt burden for poor countries remain a major concern for the Holy See. In fact the Holy Father has recently made an appeal to the leaders of nations to “to forgive or manage in a sustainable way the international debt of the poorer nations” The debt of developing countries must be placed in a broader context of economic, political and technological relations which has brought an increased interdependence between countries, as well as the need for international collaboration in pursuing the objectives of the common good. This interdependence should give rise to a new and broader concept of solidarity that respect the equal dignity of all peoples, rather than leading to domination by the strongest, national self-interest, inequalities and injustices. As Pope Francis stated, “It must never be forgotten that political and economic activity is only effective when it is understood as a prudential activity, guided by a perennial concept of justice and constantly conscious of the fact that, above and beyond our plans and programs, we are dealing with real men and women who live, struggle and suffer, and are often forced to live in great poverty, deprived of all rights.”
The Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) provides a clear mandate to address the vulture funds problem The role of UNCTAD in helping developing countries to attain such long-term debt sustainability has been of great importance and will remain indispensable for the foreseeable future. In this sense, it is crucial that UNCTAD continues its research and analysis of the international financial and monetary system and price volatility of commodities and it should propose recommendations to address the problems in financial markets that result in macroeconomic instability, distortions of international trade and increased levels of poverty and inequality.
In conclusion Mr. President,
6. The international community should use this Conference outcome document as an instrument also to promote innovative economic policies, to support the development of agricultural sector in poor areas and to promote the SME participation in global and South-South trade. These policies need adequately fund through development aid, aimed at fulfilling the needs of the poorest and marginalized segments of the world population. Given the productive, technological and scientific capacities of the world economy in the 21st century, the international community cannot wait until the end of the current global economic crisis, or until
the transition of least developing countries into emerging economies, in order to fulfill the fundamental human rights that millions of people are still not enjoying, in particular, but not exclusively, in Africa.
7. The Holy See believes that this Conference should therefore aim at a high level of ambition and should focus on how the international community will ensure that UNCTAD plays its full and meaningful role in supporting the new global development agenda, with a particular attention to the needs of poor countries and of the poor people. UNCTAD XIV should address the contemporary needs and priorities of developing countries in the current volatile and unbalanced global environment. As stated by Pope Francis, It is important that ethics once again play its due part in the world of finance and that markets serve the interests of peoples and the common good of humanity
In fact, we should reaffirm that an essential ingredient for an enabling international environment for development is a healthy and positive approach to the issue of good global governance.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegram to the Master General of the Order of Preachers – the Dominicans – who are currently holding the General Chapter of Priors Provincial in the central Italian city of Bologna.
The General Chapter of Priors General is the second of three specific kinds of General Chapters, each being held at three-year intervals for a 9-year cycle that ends with the election of a new Master General. The sequence begins with General Chapter of delegates – called “diffinitors” in Dominican parlance; then the General Chapter of Priors Provincial; and then, the Elective General Chapter.
This General Chapter of Priors Provincial is taking place in the context of the 800 th anniversary of the confirmation of the Order under Pope Honorius III, and in the middle of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
In his telegram, signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis expresses the hope that all Dominicans find the spiritual wherewithal to rededicate themselves to the charism and legacy of St Dominic their Founder, who was, “a tireless apostle of grace and forgiveness, compassionate towards the poor and an ardent defender of truth.” The Holy Father also calls on all Dominicans, saying, “Testify to mercy, professing it and embodying it in life.”
Click below to hear our report
Pope Francis’ telegram concludes with an exhortation to the whole Dominican family and all its members to be signs of the nearness and tenderness of God, that society might in this day rediscover the urgency of solidarity, love, and forgiveness.
Please find the full text of the English translation prepared by the Dominicans, below
***********************************************
R BRUNO CADORE, OP
MASTER GENERAL
ORDER OF PREACHERS
CONVENTO SANTA SABINA
PIAZZA PIETRO D’ILLIRIA, 1
00153 ROMA
ON THE OCCASION OF THE GENERAL CHAPTER OF THE PRIORS PROVINCIAL OF THE ORDER OF PREACHERS, TAKING PLACE IN BOLOGNA, IN THE CONTEXT OF THE EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE YEAR OF MERCY AND OF THE EIGHT HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONFIRMATION OF THE ORDER BY POPE HONORIUS III, HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS, IN SENDING HIS CORDIAL AND GOOD WISHES, INVOKES THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, RECALLING THAT MERCY IS THE PILLAR THAT SUPPORTS THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH.
ALL OF ITS PASTORAL ACTION MUST BE EMBRACED BY TENDERNESS AND NOTHING OF ITS PROCLAMATION OR WITNESS BEFORE THE WORLD CAN BE WITHOUT MERCY. THE CREDIBILITY OF THE CHURCH COMES THROUGH THE PATH OF MERCIFUL AND COMPASSIONATE LOVE WHICH GIVES NEW LIFE AND THE COURAGE TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH HOPE.
THE HOLY FATHER WISHES THAT ALL WHO FOLLOW THE CHARISM OF SAINT DOMINIC – TIRELESS APOSTLE OF GRACE AND FORGIVENESS, COMPASSIONATE TOWARDS THE POOR AND AN ARDENT DEFENDER OF TRUTH – SHOULD TESTIFY TO MERCY, PROFESSING IT AND EMBODYING IT IN LIFE, AND SHOULD BE SIGNS OF THE NEARNESS AND TENDERNESS OF GOD, SO THAT SOCIETY TODAY MIGHT REDISCOVER THE URGENCY OF SOLIDARITY, LOVE AND FORGIVENESS.
WHILE REQUESTING YOUR PRAYERS TO SUPPORT HIS PETRINE MINISTRY, HE, THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY AND OF ALL THE SAINTS OF THE DOMINICAN FAMILY, IMPARTS TO YOU, AS WELL AS TO ALL THE CAPITULAR FRIARS, THE REQUESTED APOSTOLIC BLESSING, EXTENDING IT GLADLY TO THE ENTIRE ORDER.
FROM THE VATICAN, 15 JULY 2016
CARDINAL PIETRO PAROLIN
SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE HOLY FATHER
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, has told the United Nations the trafficking of children is “abominable.”
“While human trafficking always exploits the vulnerable, the trafficking of children and youth exploits those most vulnerable of all, something that not only exposes the evil of trafficking in all its repulsive ugliness but something that likewise makes abundantly clear the urgent call for everyone to rise up to protect children, youth and everyone from those who would enslave and dehumanize them in these ways,” he said.
The full text of the intervention is below
Elimination The Trafficking Of Children And Youth
By H. E. Archbishop Bernardito Auza
Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations
Remarks of Archbishop Bernardito Auza
Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations
Eliminating the Trafficking of Children and Youth
United Nations, New York
July 13, 2016
Your Excellencies, Distinguished Panelists, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Holy See has long spoken out against the evil of human trafficking, forced labor and all forms of modern slavery. And through the dedicated work of so many Catholic religious institutes, national and diocesan programs, and groups of faithful the Catholic Church has sought to fight to address its various causes, care for those it victimizes, wake people up to the scourge, and work with anyone and everyone to try to eliminate it.
The Second Vatican Council, St. John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI all spoke out passionately and forcefully against the infamy of human trafficking and the widespread hedonistic and commercial culture that encourages this systematic exploitation of human dignity and rights.
Pope Francis has taken the Church’s advocacy and action to another level through his aggressive and incessant denunciation of this social cancer. He dedicated part of his address to the UN General Assembly to it. He wrote about it in his encyclical Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Homeand in his pastoral plan for the New Evangelization entitled The Joy of the Gospel. He devoted the entirety of his 2015 Message for the World Day of Peace to the subject, making it a key priority of international diplomacy for the Holy See. He has spoken about it to newly accredited diplomats, to international religious leaders, to an alliance of international police chiefs and Church leaders, to social scientists and scholars, to mayors from across the globe, to judges and to various conferences throughout the world.
And he hasn’t merely been talking: He’s been taking action, catalyzing the Holy See’s hosting conferences, spearheading the 2014 Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders against Modern Slavery and willed the creation of the Santa Marta Group, named after his residence in the Vatican, which brings together Catholic leaders and international law enforcement officials to battle this scourge.
His essential message has been that we are dealing with an “open wound on the body of contemporary society,” “a crime against humanity,” and an “atrocious scourge” that is occurring in many of our own neighborhoods. We cannot remain indifferent before the knowledge that human beings are being bought and sold like objects, even assaulted and killed like abused animals, and that we must together address the economic, environmental, political, anthropological and ethical components of the crisis.
When he was here at the UN last September, he called for “concrete steps and immediate measures for … putting an end as quickly as possible to the phenomenon of … human trafficking, … the sexual exploitation of boys and girls, [and] slave labor, including prostitution,” stressing, “We need to ensure that our institutions are truly effective in the struggle against all these scourges.”
Toward this end, he said that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was “an important sign of hope,” insofar as it focused, in three different targets, the attention and commitment of the world to confront this plague.
In Targets 5.2 and 8.7, the international community committed itself to “eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation,” and “take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking.” Those are important steps forward and, together with the Santa Marta Group, the Holy See sponsored on April 7th a very well-attended conference to try to concretize this work.
In today’s conference, we want to focus in a particular way on the third commitment relating to eliminating modern slavery, Target 16.2, which obliges the international community to “end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children” by 2030.
The trafficking of anyone, no matter what age, is a crime against humanity. But there is something particularly abominable about submitting children to these barbarities. As a Christian and a Catholic bishop, I cannot fail to recall how Jesus reserves his strongest condemnation for those who hurt children, saying that it would be better for such violators to have a millstone tied around their neck and thrown into the depth of the sea than to face God’s judgment for such deeds (Mt 18:6).
Jesus said this because he knows that children are particularly vulnerable and owed a higher level of loving protection. While human trafficking always exploits the vulnerable, the trafficking of children and youth exploits those most vulnerable of all, something that not only exposes the evil of trafficking in all its repulsive ugliness but something that likewise makes abundantly clear the urgent call for everyone to rise up to protect children, youth and everyone from those who would enslave and dehumanize them in these ways.
On behalf of the Holy Father Pope Francis and in my own name, I thank you for coming this afternoon to show solidarity with the children who are victims of trafficking in persons and to express the strongest condemnation possible of this crime.
This conference will seek to make real the faces of the nearly two million children and youth who are presently being trafficked and speak about what’s working, what’s not working, and what needs to be done to free them, help them recover, and prevent other young people from suffering as they have.
We have a powerful program today. We will hear from someone who was trafficked as a child and is now helping to liberate and care for other survivors. We’ll hear from someone who in her powerful advocacy for victims has interviewed hundreds and will be presenting what she’s learned from their compelling stories. We’ll hear from top experts from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Labour Organization about the big picture and what’s being done at an international level. And we’ll hear about two particularly troubling dimensions of this crisis: the trafficking of homeless youth and the use of the internet to enslave and traffic the young.
I would like to conclude my Remarks with the words that Pope Francis wrote for our April 7 Event on Ending Human Trafficking by 2030 and the Role of Global Partnerships in Eradicating Modern Slavery: “In your discussions,” Pope Francis wrote, “I hope also that you will keep before you the dignity of every person, and recognize in all your endeavors a true service to the poorest and most marginalized of society, who too often are forgotten and have no voice.”
Working together with perseverance we can eliminate the trafficking of children and youth and together achieve Target 16.2, to “end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children” by 2030.
Thank you and welcome to this Conference!
(from Vatican Radio)…
Pope Francis has telephoned leaders of the terror-stricken French city of Nice, asking what he could do to help in the wake of last week’s attack which left 84 people dead and scores wounded.
Pope Francis made his call out of the blue on Sunday evening to Paolo Celi, head of “Amitié France-Italie”, a national association for Italians living in France, and to Christian Estrosi, mayor of Nice.
Celi told Vatican Radio that the Pope called at about 7pm Sunday evening “apologizing because he doesn’t speak French very well”.
“The first thing he said to me was, ‘What can I do for you?’” Celi said, recalling the conversation before he connected Francis to Estrosi.
Celi said the Pope promised to meet “as soon as possible” with the families of the victims.
But, he specified, the date is yet to be set.
Speaking to Vatican Radio Estrosi said the Holy Father’s gesture has restored in him the energy he needs to go forward in this situation.
Estrosi also said the Pope’s telephone call has been of comfort to thousands of people who are supporting the families of the victims.
“The image of all the flowers, the letters, the toys that have been put on the Promenade to pay tribute to the victims is an image that no one will be able to forget, but the Pope’s words and the comfort he brings alleviates this terrible memory and gives strength and hope to all” he said.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis sent greetings to an Evangelical Christian gathering which took place on Saturday in Washington, DC.
Thousands of people filled the National Mall for the “Together 16” event.
In a video-message released before the event, Pope Francis said young people have a “restlessness” in their hearts, and Jesus is the answer.
“Young men and women, I know there is something in your heart that moves you. And that makes you restless, because a young person who is not restless is an old person,” Pope Francis said in the message.
“And you have youthfulness, and youthfulness breeds restlessness. What is your restlessness? Do you know what it is or do you not know? Do you want to know what your restlessness is?” – the Pope continued – “I invite you to … to find the One who can give you an answer to your restlessness.”
“And I assure you, you will not be frustrated. God does not leave anyone disillusioned. Jesus is waiting for you,” – Pope Francis concluded – “He is the One who planted the seeds of restlessness in your heart. Give it a try! You don’t have anything to lose! Try it. Then you can tell me. Thank you!”
(from Vatican Radio)…