UNGA 77 – Second Committee
“Transforming political commitments into actions for sustainable recovery – rebuilding a sustainable future for all”
7 October 2022
Madam Chair,
I would like to congratulate you and the Bureau on your election and assure you of the Holy See’s constructive engagement during the work of this session.
Rebuilding a sustainable future for all is a bold task, especially in times like those we live in, in which most of the greatest challenges are global and interconnected, whereas solutions are more and more divided and fragmented.[1] What is needed to transform political commitments into action is first and foremost “a recovery of our sense of shared identity as a single human family, rooted in the inalienable dignity that we hold in common”[2] independent of the circumstances we live in.
Development measures and recovery plans, while upholding this fundamental principle, must be grounded in international cooperation, shared responsibility, and solidarity. We must work to replace narrow political interests with the principle of the common good, allocating, for example, resources in a manner that allows every person to achieve his or her integral human development and protecting our planet from any form of exploitation.
This Committee has a special responsibility and a unique role within the UN system. It is mandated to advance a model of development that, in the words of the 1987 Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, meets “the basic needs of all and [extends] to all the opportunity to fulfil their aspirations for a better life.”[3] This very idea is expressed by the concept of sustainability, which, indeed, lies at the center of this Committee’s agenda.
Sustainability, as also recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is, by definition, multidimensional. Its economic, social, and environmental dimensions are integrated and indivisible. Therefore, it is imperative that the Second Committee, when providing political guidance on the wide range of issues that concern sustainable development, do so in a way that balances all these components and does not artificially prioritize one over another.
The Holy See would like to highlight a few crucial aspects of the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development that, if promoted by this Committee and the international community more broadly, could contribute to building a sustainable future for all.
As Pope Francis has underscored, the most serious social crisis that our world faces is the crisis of human relationships.[4] Such a crisis flows from an anthropological vision dominated by individualism, indifference, and a culture of waste, in which the transcendent dignity of the person is often trampled and human beings are exploited, maltreated, ignored, or even killed.
In this context, it is essential to put in place social measures that have the human person at their center. This means respecting the inherent dignity of every person, at every stage of life, and the inalienable and universal human rights that flow from that dignity, and building authentic human relationships.
Social development cannot be achieved without adequate support and protection for the family, which is “the natural and fundamental group unit of society.”[5] The family is often the only source of support for millions of people, especially for those who are regarded by society as a burden or unwanted. Thus, investing in family-oriented policies is the first step in making social fabric of our communities more resilient.
Equally important is establishing social protection systems where they do not exist and implementing existing ones, while also broadening those that are limited in coverage and effectiveness to ensure that all people have access to adequate standards of living. This need became particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the inadequacy or – in some cases – the complete absence of social protection for millions of workers, especially those in the informal economy and migrant workers, became a major concern in developing and developed countries.
On the economic level, there is need to rebuild a sustainable future for all based on economic models that not only foster growth but, first and foremost, promote integral human development. The greatest resource of any economy is its people. Economic development cannot be reduced to economic gains, nor can it be achieved without adequate promotion of human labor, fair wages and working conditions, and respect for workers’ rights.
This requires addressing the many forms of injustice that persist in today’s economic systems, supported by reductive anthropological visions and economic goals in the name of which human beings are consistently exploited, discarded, trafficked, and even killed.
Moreover, business activities must aim at providing workers with opportunities to achieve sustainable livelihoods to support themselves and their families and to develop their talents. In this regard, investing in human capital, including through education and training, is central for an economy that not only is prosperous in financial terms but which, above all, fosters social justice.
It is also time to create job opportunities that ensure respect for international labor standards and adequate levels of remuneration and social protection, and that promote models of development and sustainability in which all people, especially the poor and those in vulnerable situations, “will no longer be — at most — a merely nominal, technical, or functional presence.”[6] Instead, helping them become protagonists in their own lives and in the entire fabric of society.
This is one of the reasons why Pope Francis launched “The Economy of Francesco,” a global platform that, since 2019, has brought together young economists and entrepreneurs from all over the world to find innovative solutions to promote an economy “that brings life not death, one that is inclusive and not exclusive, humane and not dehumanizing, one that cares for the environment and does not despoil it.”[7]
Responsible economic practice must have as a priority the human person as a whole, with a particular concern for our planet and its natural resources. The 2030 Agenda points out that “the future of humanity and of our planet lies […] in the hands of today’s generation who will pass the torch to future generations.”[8] In the same vein, Pope Francis, in his Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, highlights that “we can no longer speak of sustainable development apart from intergenerational solidarity.”[9] He urges us to ask ourselves what kind of world we want to leave to those who come after us.[10] Answering such a question requires recognizing that restoring a harmonious relationship with nature is a crucial challenge that calls us to act with urgency.
Many are the tools that the international community has at its disposal to respond to the environmental challenges of our time. Among these are the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), the Paris Agreement, together with the 2030 Agenda and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The Holy See, acting in the name and on behalf of the Vatican City State, has recently deposited the instruments of accession both to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and to the Paris Agreement, instruments that entered into force today [4 October 2022]. With this step, the Holy See affirms its concrete commitment “to contribute to the efforts of all States to work together in solidarity, in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, to respond effectively to challenges posed by climate change.”[11]
Sustainable development is not a goal achieved once and for all. Rather it is a process that requires constant effort and a long-term vision. A Sustainable future should be built on the care for our common home, and on the integral development of each human person. Development programs are truly sustainable when they are rooted in a global ethic of solidarity and cooperation in the service of the integral development of every man, woman, and child, and the protection of the environment.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
[1] Cf. Pope Francis, Address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, 10 January 2022.
[2] Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Address to the seventy-seventh session of General Assembly of the United Nations, 24 September 2022.
[3] A/42/427, Report of the World Conference on Environment and Development.
[4] Cf. Pope Francis, Address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, 8 February 2021.
[5] Universal Declaration of Human Rights, art. 16(3).
[6] Pope Francis, video message to the participants in the meeting “The Economy of Francesco – Young people, A commitment, The Future”, 21 November 2020.
[7] Pope Francis, letter for the event “The Economy of Francesco,” 1 May 2019.
[8] A/RES/70/1.
[9] Pope Francis, encyclical letter Laudato Si’, 160.
[10] Cf. Ibid, 162.
[11] Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Address to the seventy-seventh session of General Assembly of the United Nations, 24 September 2022.