(Vatican Radio) The Vatican has welcomed the United Nations’ proposed framework for the upcoming negotiations on the post-2015 agenda.
Referring to the “Food for Thought Paper” which outlines modalities to be adopted for the upcoming intergovernmental talks in view of reaching an agreement on the outcome for the Post-2015 Development Agenda, the Vatican’s Permanent Observer to the UN in New York, Archbishop Bernadito Auza says his delegation is in agreement with the main points of the document.
Looking towards the global development trajectory for the coming decades, Archbishop Auza also praises the principles of inclusiveness and transparency which have guided the Open Working Group so far to reach a consensus on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Please find below the full text of Archbishop Auza’s speech :
Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See
69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Informal Consultations on Modalities for the
Intergovernmental Negotiations on the post-2015 Development Agenda
New York, 3 December 2014
Mr. Co-Facilitator:
My delegation welcomes the proposed framework you have outlined in your “Food for Thought Paper” concerning the modalities to be adopted for the upcoming intergovernmental negotiations in view of reaching an agreement on the outcome for the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
The principles of inclusiveness and transparency, which have guided the Open Working Group (OWG) so far to reach a consensus on the SDGs, must be continued. The United Nations system offers a unique forum to hear the voices of all: from the most developed to the least developed countries, from representatives of civil society and the private sector, especially those organizations that represent the interests of the most vulnerable and marginalized in our global community. This working framework has already served the OWG well and has helped build ownership of the specific development goals that we are now targeting.
At the same time, my delegation shares the view of others that this process, notwithstanding the inputs from different groups, should and must remain an intergovernmental process. My delegation believes that for the post-2015 agenda to be really transformative, it has to achieve as much as possible the full consensus of all delegations and without any imposition whatsoever.
My delegation is also in agreement with the main points outlined under the scope of the consultations. Each of the sustainable development goals must have agreed targets and indicators, as well as a well-defined framework in order to monitor progress toward the achievement of these targets. In this regard, my delegation also shares the expectation, expressed in the “Food for Thought Paper”, of the likely need for technical proofing of these indicators to ensure their precision and reliability.
Given also the diversity of development needs within and across States, the chosen indicators should differentiate between vulnerable groups in specific countries and give special priority to monitoring the poverty, hunger, and nutrition needs of least developed countries and, within countries, of the most vulnerable groups or categories. In its recent interventions at the Second Committee, my delegation repeatedly emphasized the moral obligation to redress the unacceptable conditions of too many of our fellow human beings. Pope Francis reiterated this in his Address to the FAO last month in Rome.
Mr. Co-Facilitator,
Regarding the Means of Implementation, my delegation encourages you to take full advantage of the work already done or in progress, and avoid duplication of efforts. Along this line, my delegation also agrees that the Means of Implementation are better addressed through separate consultations under Financing for Development , while sustainable goals linked to climate change effects should take advantage of the upcoming UNFCCC negotiations.
Finally, my delegation finds the schedule of meetings you have outlined for the first half of 2015 to be both realistic and necessary in order to reach an agreement on outcome for the post-2015 development agenda, in view of the Summit of Heads of States and of Governments scheduled in September 2015. The Holy See looks forward to participating actively in this process.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican has welcomed the United Nations’ proposed framework for the upcoming negotiations on the post-2015 agenda. Referring to the “Food for Thought Paper” which outlines modalities to be adopted for the upcoming intergovernmental talks in view of reaching an agreement on the outcome for the Post-2015 Development Agenda, the Vatican’s Permanent Observer…
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(Vatican Radio) The Vatican has welcomed the United Nations’ proposed framework for the upcoming negotiations on the post-2015 agenda. Referring to the “Food for Thought Paper” which outlines modalities to be adopted for the upcoming intergovernmental talks in view of reaching an agreement on the outcome for the Post-2015 Development Agenda, the Vatican’s Permanent Observer…
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(Vatican Radio) The Holy See delegation to the United Nations on Wednesday called the family a “critically important” intangible asset that societies and States need to achieve the post-2015 sustainable development goals.
The UN General Assembly was marking the 20th anniversary of the International Year of the Family.
In a Statement by the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, Archbishop Bernadito Auza, said it was “urgent that the post-2015 development agenda create a conducive environment to strengthen and support the family, to enable it to undergird the maintenance of peace and security, the advancement of women and girls, the respect for fundamental human rights, the reconciliation of work and family life and the shared parental responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child.”
The full text of Archbishop Auza’s intervention is below
Statement of H.E. Archbishop Bernardito Auza,
Permanent Observer of the Holy See
General Assembly Plenary Meeting in Observance of the
Twentieth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family
New York, 3 December 2014
Mr. President,
My delegation warmly welcomes the holding of this Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly to mark the Twentieth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family.
This anniversary is a good opportunity to consider what has been achieved over the past 20 years, and thus, to highlight the importance of the family and to understand its functions and needs, to pay attention to the rights and responsibilities of all family members, to strengthen national institutions and to formulate, implement and monitor policies in respect of the family.
Along this line, the Holy See hopes that this meeting will help States and the United Nations as a whole to acknowledge the role of the family in the elaboration and implementation of the post-2015 sustainable development goals. The family is critically important as one of those “intangible assets” that societies and States need. From preventing conflicts to building peaceful societies, from fostering agriculture to preventing crimes in inner cities, from caring for the earth to assuring food security, from eradicating poverty to sustaining healthy communities, the family is and will always be at the forefront. Its contribution to the life of societies and States transcends tangible measures and defies monetary quantifications. Indeed, a family animated by unity and mutual responsibility undeniably contributes to nurturing future generations and to taking care of the more vulnerable members of our society, like the sick, the elderly and the marginalized. As Pope Francis affirms, the family is such a fundamental pillar in society: it is the “foundation of co-existence and a guarantee against social fragmentation.”
Given the exceptional potential of the family and its obvious and widely acknowledged social and economic contribution to society, it is sad to note that, as underlined in the Secretary General’s Report, “families are rarely the focus of major policy initiatives. Often, such policies target women and children separately, and not the family unit per se”. Whereas that may be understandable for specific reasons, the fight against violence and discrimination against women and girls, the empowerment of women and the promotion of the rights of the child could yield greater results if we take the more integrated approach of taking into account the family unit.
Indeed, studies show that those who build stable families have lower risk of domestic violence, mental illness and alcoholism. Children show lower risk of alcoholism, drug addiction and mental illness, lower incidences of later becoming criminals, and higher academic achievements. In so many cases, the breakdown of families also contributes to the feminization of poverty and to stunted child development. From an economic perspective, a stable family is the lowest cost option for both its members and the State.
Mr. President,
My delegation considers it urgent that the post-2015 development agenda create a conducive environment to strengthen and support the family, to enable it to undergird the maintenance of peace and security, the advancement of women and girls, the respect for fundamental human rights, the reconciliation of work and family life and the shared parental responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child.
My delegation, while echoing the recommendations articulated in the Secretary General’s Report, wishes to reiterate a strong call for all international and national institutions, all State and civil society structures to “promote and advance family empowerment through appropriate family-centred policies and programmes”, without falling into what Pope Francis referred to as “the trap of being limited by ideological concepts.” Indeed, the family is an indispensable, natural and anthropological asset for humanity. Let us promote and support it.
Thank you, Mr. President.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See delegation to the United Nations on Wednesday called the family a “critically important” intangible asset that societies and States need to achieve the post-2015 sustainable development goals. The UN General Assembly was marking the 20th anniversary of the International Year of the Family. In a Statement by the Permanent Observer…
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