informal thematic consultations on Our Common Agenda
1st Thematic Cluster
Accelerating and scaling up the SDGs, leaving no-one behind
10-11 February 2022

Mr./Madam Vice-President,

The Holy See is grateful to the President of the General Assembly for organizing these consultations to advance discussions on the recommendations presented by the Secretary-General in his report Our Common Agenda.

As the Secretary-General’s report aptly describes, “humanity faces a stark and urgent choice: a breakdown or a breakthrough.”[1] The international community must respond to the many crises and challenges affecting every region and country in the world and impacting every single person. Those crises are compounded by the fact that multilateralism itself is going through very difficult times. Pope Francis recently highlighted that “[f]or some time now, multilateral diplomacy has been experiencing a crisis of trust, due to the reduced credibility of social, governmental and intergovernmental systems […] weaken[ing] the multilateral system as a whole with the result that it becomes less and less effective in confronting global challenges.”[2] The Holy See is hopeful that these five thematic consultations will contribute to making the Agenda under discussion one that is “truly common and globally shared”.

During these informal consultations, the Holy See will comment on some of the topics and recommendations indicated by the President of the General Assembly, underscoring, however, that several, by their very nature, are destined for further intergovernmental discussions and negotiations.

First, concerning the idea of a “social contract,” the Holy See welcomes the Report’s focus on the need for increased solidarity, community and subsidiarity, and how it grounds consideration on the social contract solidly on these ideas. As States and as individuals we are bound together, with responsibilities towards one another in order to achieve the common good. Most of the crises facing the world cannot be solved by an individual State; rather, multilateral cooperation and common efforts are needed to tackle effectively the grave challenges that beset us.

Second, concerning issues of human rights and equality between men and women, the Holy See “remains a steadfast promoter of the dignity of women, based fundamentally on the recognition that the dignity of every human being, man or woman, is the foundation of the concept of universal human rights.”[3] While major conferences have been held, and groundbreaking outcome documents and international legal instruments have advanced universal human rights and the equality of women and men, few if any meetings which have been held within the UN in the past decade have failed to lament the lack of progress and work remaining.  As my Delegation has noted in the past, the current impasse stems, first of all, from the absence of a common understanding of human rights, then from the various efforts to undermine international consensus and call for the renegotiation of what has been agreed to, in favor of controversial agendas that undermine the United Nations and international law. It is also concerning that the status and importance of treaties and their relative obligations, which were freely assumed by States, are being misinterpreted and no-longer viewed as the starting point for future discussions.

Third, and finally, concerning the proposed Education summit, the Holy See would like to underline that “education holds a special place, since it trains the younger generation, the future and hope of the world. Education is in fact the primary vehicle of integral human development, fostering freedom and responsibility.” [4] Assisting countries to ensure universal access to quality education must therefore remain a priority for the United Nations. Education provides the necessary tools for the spiritual, moral, and social growth of every person, helps form people in freedom and responsibility as well as imparts indispensable skills to access job opportunities. Throughout its history, the Catholic Church has promoted and provided for the integral development of children and of women and men of all ages through its educational establishments, offering instruction and care, often in situations and places where there are no alternatives. The Global Compact on Education, launched by Pope Francis, is a further sign of the Holy See’s and the Catholic Church’s commitment to promote a form of education that integrates all aspects of the human person, generates peace, justice and fraternity within the human family, and instills hope for the future.[5] The Holy See looks forward, therefore, to the planned Summit on Transforming Education. On this summit and other summits proposed in Our Common Agenda, my delegation trusts that transparent, inclusive, open and intergovernmental negotiations will take place on both the modalities and any outcome document.

The Holy See assures this Assembly and the Secretary-General of its interest in upcoming discussions.

Thank you, Mr./Madam Vice-President.

[1] Our Common Agenda – Report of the Secretary-General, p. 4 (Summary).

[2] Pope Francis, Address to the members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, 10 January 2022.

[3] Francesca Di Giovanni, Statement by the Holy See at the High-Level Meeting on the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, 1 October 2020.

[4] Pope Francis, Address to the members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, 10 January 2022.

[5] Pope Francis, Message for the Launch of the Global Compact on Education, 12 September 2019.