By Holy See Mission
Permanent
Observer Mission of the Holy See - Geneva
__________
ECOSOC High Level SegmentPromoting an Integrated Approach to Rural Development in Developing
Countries
forPoverty Eradication and Sustainable DevelopmentDiscourse by His Excellency, Archbishop Celestino MigliorePermanent Observer of the Holy See to the United NationsGeneva,
1 July 2003Mr.
President:
This is a momentous
occasion for the international community to discuss and address the
eradication
of poverty and its correlation with sustainable development in rural
areas. Our
work contributes to the implementation of noble goals found in the
Monterrey
Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development
and the
Johannesburg Declaration of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
It also
advances directly or indirectly all eight of the Millennium Declaration
Goals of
the UN. As our deliberations proceed, we must also take stock of the
Doha
Ministerial Declaration’s acknowledgment of the need to facilitate the
connection between rural development and poverty reduction.
Before
advancing and solidifying concerns about rural issues, my Delegation
would like
to pay a warm and grateful tribute to the millions of women and men who
spend
their lives in the field and provide humanity with the fruits of their
labor. We
would like to pledge our commitment in particular to those whose very
existence
and human dignity are threatened by rural poverty.
The
establishment of a strong development alliance, including international
organizations, governments, NGOs, civil society, agricultural businesses
and
farmers, both from developed and developing countries, will acknowledge
the
unity of humanity. This partnership must recognize that those more
blessed with
economic resources and the power to use them are called in solidarity to
address
the plight of those who are amongst the most vulnerable. The unity of
humankind
itself is imperiled when international and national economic inequities
divide
the members of the human family into unjustifiable economic castes.
Furthermore,
this alliance can also contribute to the maintenance of international
peace and
security which the UN is obliged to advance. It can promote as well the
interrelationship of all peoples which will strengthen the bond of
solidarity.
Moreover, there is the question of justice that must prevail in the
economic
world. It has been said that the truest form of justice is genuine
fraternity.
But how can true justice exist when the poor rural neighbor is
considered
neither friend nor fellow human being? Recognition of the
interrelationship and
interdependency of the social, economic and political interests of all
countries
and peoples will get the community of nations back on track of
furthering true
justice. The material threats that challenge the developed nations today
will be
reduced and perhaps even eliminated when poverty is alleviated. Genuine
global
prosperity and progress depend on unification of the interests of all
people.
The
Holy See takes this opportunity to appeal for an integrated strategy
that would
implement a series of generous economic and trade concessions without
asking
reciprocity, at least in the short term. At the core of this strategy
there is a
principle of collective responsibility, by which the shortcomings and
less
favorable conditions of poor countries should be tackled and remedied by
the
richer countries as if they were internal problems of their own. In
implementing
this strategy, the alliance for development would pursue the following
elements:
- Limitation of overseas economic practices which grant temporary
relief but
do not invigorate the economies of rural areas so that their
inhabitants can
become active economic and social actors able to contribute to the
national
and international common good.
- New practices which support both sustainable development and
expansion of
family farms’ productivity, should be encouraged, together with
employment
generating opportunities in rural areas.
- Establish and enforce equitable rules regulating international
trade which
would enhance vigorous participation of rural economies and would
not simply
favor the interests of developed economies. These rules would foster
greater
equality amongst the parties thereby making even the poorest States
competitive participants in global economies. Rules eliminating or
at least
measurably reducing export subsidies granted by developed States to
their
domestic agricultural sector would be an illustration of this
element.
- Debt relief designed to remove burdens that impede the recovery
and growth
of the economies of developing States and to promote new financial
resources
for agricultural development.
- Encourage private and public investments interested in sound
primary and
secondary education for all children and systems of basic health
care that
would substantially reduce the impact not only of HIV/AIDS but of
all other
diseases that threaten the rural poor such as malaria, typhoid,
cholera, and
tuberculosis.
- Economic assistance directed toward public health programmes
must be
viewed not simply as humanitarian relief to the most vulnerable
members of
the rural community but also as part of an economic and social
strategy
designed to improve the conditions of those laborers who constitute
the
workforce in rural areas of the world. Healthy members of the labor
force
will permit developing States to remain in long-term trade
relationships
with other States.
- Encourage investments that will assist in the eradication of
malnutrition
and in the development of adequate sources of potable water. Proper
nutrition and hydration are essential for the robust participation
of people
in trade relationships with others.
- Identify and eliminate the root causes of regional armed
conflict in which
innocent civilians, oftentimes rural inhabitants, are targeted as
victims of
the conflict.
- Promote technology sharing by developed States with developing
States,
especially those technologies that would make sustainable rural
development,
food security, environmental protection and agricultural exports of
developing countries compatible with one another.
Mr.
President,
The
world of today is holding on to a fragile peace. Too many people live
without
hope, are confronted with broken promises, and lose their trust in the
effectiveness of regional and international summits.
It is
the search for a healing of the despair of the poor that must fuel the
continuing work of the world community. We cannot allow our work to end
here.
The international community cannot permit one more day to pass wherein a
real
attempt to meet goals and make measurable progress toward the
alleviation of
poverty is not pursued with all of the energy and resolve that we can
muster.
Progress has been made by identifying a public-private alliance for
development
that will be instrumental in eradicating poverty, especially the kind
experienced by those who live in the rural regions of the world. Our
coming
together here demonstrates that there is hope, that there is commitment,
and
that there is an honest movement toward the elimination of poverty that
arrests
the authentic development of all peoples and societies. A good
foundation
for building a better future for all humanity is within our grasp. May
we be
blessed with the wisdom and courage to build upon the promise which this
partnership for humanity holds.
Thank
you, Mr. President.
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