By Holy See Mission
Statement by H.E. Archbishop Celestino
Migliore
Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See
Economic and Social Council
41st session of the Commission on Population and Development
On Item 3:
World population monitoring, focusing on population distribution,
urbanization, internal migration and developmentNew York, 9 April 2008 Mr. Chairman,
This session of
the Commission on Population and Development comes at this historic juncture
when, for the first time in history, the number of urban inhabitants will
surpass the number of people living in rural areas. This session therefore calls
on us to reflect on this phenomenon and take stock of the opportunities and
challenges that lie ahead.
The urbanization
of world populations provides new opportunities for economic growth. With access
to higher wages and better social services such as education, health,
transportation, communications, safe water supplies and sanitation, migrants
from rural to urban settings are more likely to advance their personal and
social development.
When addressing
the issues of migration and development, we must place the needs and concerns of
peoples first. Placing the human person at the service of economic or
environmental considerations creates the inhuman effect of treating people as
objects rather than subjects. Migration and the urbanization of societies should
not be purely measured in terms of their economic impact. In finding ways to
address the serious challenges posed by massive internal and transnational
migrations, let us not forget that at the heart of this phenomenon is the human
person. Thus we must also address the reasons why people move, the sacrifices
they make, the anguish and the hopes that accompany migrants. Migration often
places great strain on migrants, as they leave behind families and friends,
socio-cultural and spiritual networks.
As the Secretary
General’s report rightly illustrates, while urbanization has created better
opportunities for individuals and their families, the move from agricultural
settings to urban centers also create myriad challenges. Indeed, new
environmental, social and economic problems emerge with the birth of mega
cities. But one of the most pressing and painful consequences of rapid
urbanization is the increasing number of people living in urban slums. As
recently as 2005 over 840 million people around the world lived in such
conditions. Lacking in almost everything, these individuals can lose their sense
of self-worth and inherent dignity. They become trapped in a vicious cycle of
extreme poverty and marginalization. They squat on state or other people’s
properties. They feel powerless to demand even the most basic public services.
Children are not in schools, but in waste dumpsites eking out a living from
scavenging. Policy makers and civil society actors must put these people and
their concerns among the priorities in their decision-making.
While
urbanization provides a net growth in terms of economic development, we must not
lose sight of the daunting challenges that rural communities face, particularly
those in developing countries. If we are to achieve the MDGs by 2015, greater
concern must be given to those communities, in which approximately 675 million
still lack access to safe drinking water and two billion live without access to
basic sanitation. National and international policies would do well to ensure
that rural communities have access to higher quality and more accessible social
services.
Mr. Chairman,
For its part, the
Holy See and its institutions remain committed to addressing the concerns of all
migrants and to finding ways to collaborate with all, in order to ensure a
proper balance between the just concerns of state and those of individual human
beings. Helping migrants meet their basic needs does not only aid their
transition and help keep families together. It is also a positive way to
encourage them to become productive, responsible, law-abiding and contributors
to the common good of the society.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
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