By Holy See Mission
Statement by
H.E. Archbishop Francis Chullikatt
Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See
Economic and
Social Council44th Session of the Commission on
Population and DevelopmentFertility, reproductive health and development
New York, 12 April 2011
Mr. Chairman,
As we consider the theme
of “fertility, reproductive health and development”, my delegation takes this
opportunity to focus on the paramount importance of respect for the inherent
dignity of the human person in all development efforts. At the outset, it will
become clear that the theme for this Session mandates a careful scrutiny in
order to attain, rather than frustrate, the noble goals of the United Nations
that are ordered to preserving the “dignity and worth of the human person.”
Unfortunately many
discussions in the present day continue to be led by a false notion that, in the
context of population growth, the very act of giving life is something to be
feared rather than affirmed. Such thinking is based on a radical individualism
which sees human reproduction as a commodity that must be regulated and improved
in order to encourage greater market efficiency and development. How can such a
view be consistent with the objectives of the United Nations? Put most candidly,
it cannot.
This flawed
understanding leads to the distorted view that population growth, especially
among the poor, must be decreased in order to address poverty, illiteracy and
malnutrition. It is also based upon the consistently disproven theory that
population increase will devastate the environment, lead to global competition
and confrontation for resources and undermine the ability of women to interact
fully with society. These apprehensions contribute to the advancement of forms
of reproductive technology which denigrate the nature of human sexuality. The
combination of these misconceptions have led some national governments to adopt
laws and policies which discourage parents from exercising their fundamental and
non-derogable right to have children free of coercion and which even make it
illegal for mothers to give birth in some cases or for a child to have one’s own
brothers and sisters.
As the Secretary
General’s report notes, reproduction rates vary in many places in the world.
However, the report improperly suggests that the rates of reproduction in
developing countries are an area of primary concern which demands urgent action.
The report, furthermore, promotes the tragic theory that if there were fewer
poor children there would be less need to provide education; that if there were
fewer poor women giving birth then there would be less maternal mortality; and,
that if there were fewer people needed to be fed then malnutrition would be more
easily addressed and that greater resources could be allocated to development.
In order to combat legitimate problems, the increasingly discredited concept of
population control must be discarded.
This distorted
world-view regards the poor as a problem to be commoditized and managed as if
they were inconsequential objects rather than as unique persons with innate
dignity and worth who require the full commitment of the international community
to provide assistance so that they can realize their full potential.
Instead of focusing
political and financial resources on efforts to reduce the number of poor
persons through methods which trivialize marriage and the family and deny the
very right to life of unborn children, let us instead focus these resources on
providing the promised development assistance to the approximately 920 million
people living on less than $1.25 per day. Let us feed the nearly 1 billion
people who are malnourished, and let us provide skilled birth attendants at
every birth to reduce the incidents of maternal and child morality. Let us
achieve our promise of providing primary education to the 69 million children
who risk becoming another generation without such basic assistance. These
children of today will be the citizens of tomorrow who have much to contribute
to the welfare and common good of all.
Through the pursuit of
the common good and integral human development—which necessarily takes into
account political, cultural and spiritual aspects of individuals, families and
societies—the international community can respect the dignity of each and every
person and thus foster a new ethic for development. This ethic is precisely the
tonic that our world desperately needs in order to promote enduring peace and
the authentic flourishing for all.
Mr. Chairman,While the Holy See
continues to encourage and advocate that greater priority be placed on
addressing the needs of the most vulnerable, at the same time my delegation
urges that greater financial, political and social emphasis must be directed at
supporting the family.
As the
Secretary-General’s report notes, in some regions of the world countries are
experiencing population growth below replacement level. This lowering of
fertility rates has given rise to ageing populations which lack the necessary
population to sustain economic development and provide the resources necessary
to support these ageing populations.
Inherently linked to addressing this demographic problem is the need to support
families. Through the adoption of policies which encourage marriages that are
open to and welcome children, and which also provide families the necessary
assistance in bearing and rearing children, including those with large families,
national policies can encourage a new commitment and openness to life—life that
will sustain a flourishing human family!
The very first principle upon which the outcome document of the International
Conference on Population and Development was based recognized that the
international community must, in conformity with universally recognized human
rights, “respect the various religious and ethical values and cultural
background” of all people.[1]
This principle is not
only a long-held value for international cooperation but it is also necessary
for authentic economic development. Recognition of this critical tenet is vital
to the success of our work during this Session.
Religious institutions have long been the source for providing health care to
local populations around the world. It is worth noting that the Catholic Church
provides approximately 25% of all care for those living with HIV/AIDS with over
16,000 social welfare programs and over 1,000 hospitals, 5,000 dispensaries and
over 2,000 nurseries in Africa alone.[2]
Respecting religious and cultural values is not merely a matter of theory; it is
essential for an integral and authentic human development consistent with the
objectives of the United Nations and its family of related organizations.
It is important that the international community continue to
reflect on the relationship between population and development. Yet, in doing
so, governments must always remember that people are an asset and not a
liability. The more governments recognize this, the more they will be able to
put in place programmes and policies that truly advance the well-being of all
persons, and thus contribute to the development of the entire human community.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[1]
International Conference on Population and Development, Chapter II,
“Principles.”
[2] Statistical
yearbook of the Church, 2008.
Copyright © 2015-2021 The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations