By Holy See Mission
Statement by H.E. Archbishop Celestino
Migliore
Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See
Economic and Social Council
46th session of the Commission for Social Development
On Item 6 (a)
Priority theme: promoting full employment and decent work for all
New York, 7 February 2008 Mr. Chairman,
The promotion of full employment and decent work for all has been an area of
continued focus for this Organization. From the Copenhagen Declaration and
Programme of Action to the forty-fifth and forty-sixth sessions of this
Commission, productive employment, poverty eradication and social integration
remain important objectives for the United Nations.
My delegation wishes to stress two key aspects of the item under our
consideration: first, that the lack of full employment and decent work and its
associated poverty and social disintegration offend human dignity, and second,
that we can only hold the trust of the people if we listen to them and
concretely take their needs into account.
Today’s overall world economic situation continues to present challenges to the
objective of full employment and decent work for all. The ever accelerating
periodic cycles of growth and job creation on the one hand, and of recession and
job losses on the other, disturb the financial and trade relations and
mechanisms. At this very moment, with bated breath the world wonders where the
ongoing financial woes, provoked by the crisis in the real estate sector in some
of the most developed economies, would lead us.
In such economic context, this Commission is challenged to stress the need for
effective ways to protect low-income families and workers from financial
collapse. Most often, they are the hardest hit in times of economic downturn,
thus, any policy to stimulate the economy must provide them concrete economic
help. Assisting them is a question of justice and solidarity, but it is also a
financially sound measure to stimulate national economies and international
trade.
Such assistance can only be effective if measures taken by the stronger
economies do not exacerbate the situation in the developing economies. Since
this risk looms large in today’s highly interdependent economy, the
international community must be vigilant to prevent such practice from
happening. The Holy See wishes to recall that the compelling needs of the poor
have a priority claim on our conscience and on the choices financial leaders
make, and as such, it is incumbent upon international fora to provide a platform
to the poor because, more often than not, they are left voiceless in the search
for solutions to problems that also deeply matter to them.
In order to accelerate the realization of the Copenhagen goals, it is necessary
to create an environment and structures which enable people to take an active
part in decision-making. Creating an enabling environment, promoting structures
responsive to the needs of people and dialoging without preconditions are all
integral components to regulating the world economy, better predicting its
periodic cycles and finding the most appropriate measures to blunt the negative
consequences of global economic downturns.
While globalisation has opened the door to economic prosperity to many people,
its downsides continue to disproportionately affect the weak members of our
society. Therefore, governments’ response to these challenges must be guided by
the moral tenet that a good society is measured by the extent to which those
with responsibility attend to the needs of the weaker members, especially those
most in need. A good society is one in which all benefit from the common good,
and nobody is left outside the common concern. Economic policies that help
low-income working people live dignified, decent lives should be a priority of
any good society worthy of the name.
Finally, my delegation wishes to stress that trust, earned rather than given,
among all parties is essential in the area of employment. The persistence of
poverty, unemployment and social disintegration are by-products of distrust and
the absence of fair relations among the various components of the economic and
social mechanisms. A lack of mutual trust among parties also means a lack of
confidence in the future which, in turn, means the absence of job security.
People, especially the young looking for their first job, discover meaning and
confidence in the future when they find long-term work with the opportunity for
a deserved promotion.
The Holy See recognizes that
the aforementioned issues, among others, are essential in responding to the
needs of those who seek decent employment and opportunities to move out of
poverty and avoid marginalization, exploitation and social disintegration. Those
seeking to enhance their lives look to us for action. It is the hope of my
delegation that our words here will quickly become our actions.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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