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HOLY SEE
United Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmENT
12th Session
Accra, Ghana, 20-25 April 2008
Intervention of H.E. Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, Apostolic Nuncio, Head of the Holy See Delegation
Mr. President,
At the outset, my Delegation expresses it appreciation for the great organization and hospitality provided by the people and Government of Ghana for this UNCTAD’s Ministerial Conference.
Mr. President,
1. The world’s economy has witnessed a period of remarkable success that has included in its benefits also several developing countries. This global positive achievement is a signal that with a concerted effort and a generous political will it is not impossible reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The Delegation of the Holy See rejoices for such progress and supports UNCTAD’s continued role in sustaining it. At the same time, the evidence of an uneven distribution of wealth among countries and segments of population within them cannot be ignored. The ‘bottom billion’ is not a statistic, but women and men members of our human family and thus entitled to share in the economic process so they too may live with dignity.
2. The road ahead is still long. As the findings of UNCTAD’s research point out, “with the end of 2007, we have already past the halfway mark to the 2015 target deadline for the reduction of poverty and we are still far from achieving the Millennium development Goals (MDGs). The GDP per capita of rich countries are about 5-7 times more than the world average while the GDP per capita of the poorest countries are about 3-6 percent of the world average. These figures fuel concerns of increasing concentration of income and wealth and the magnitude of the inequality, raising question on the responsiveness of poverty reduction to economic growth”.
3. “Addressing the opportunities and challenges of globalization for development” is the theme of this 12th Ministerial Conference. The insight of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI that globalization, “also needs, in addition to a foundation of shared values, an economy capable of responding effectively to the requirements of a common good which is now planetary in scope,” converges with the objectives of this Conference.
4. The Delegation of the Holy See appreciates the work undertaken by UNCTAD and its Secretariat and is convinced that the key added value it contributes comes from the appropriate balance among its three pillars: Research and Analysis, Consensus building and Technical assistance. Among these, the independence of analysis gives UNCTAD a competitive advantage that is particularly important in helping developing countries to design policy strategies and actions. Then, the 4 themes chosen by delegates for the 12th Conference reflect well the preoccupation which must be ours. Finding the right response to these themes is crucial to allow the world to reach the MDGs in 2015.
5. The high level of expertise present at this Conference provides an exhaustive overview of current challenges. This Delegation therefore will focus its communication on a few issues, the crucial role played by the human person in development, and this in an African perspective. Three topics are therefore highlighted: the role of the African entrepreneur, the rural world and the eradication of poverty, human mobility and its relation to development.
6. Development is centred on, and oriented to, the human person who acts in a web of relations that fulfil his/her primary and original aspirations: the desire for truth, for love, for beauty and for justice. The heart of development is found in this vision; it concerns everyone, irrespective of the level of wealth, the country of origin or the specific culture. In fact, development, more than a target to be reached, is a path to be pursued. Genuine development is realized where persons are enabled to achieve their most fundamental desires and needs. It is successful when it recognizes the central role played by the human person, man and woman, through their work and their creativity. Prior to technical aspects, the human dimension should point out the way forward and remain the ultimate goal. Authentic development is multidimensional and should promote all physical and spiritual aspects of people’s lives, “every person and the whole person.” As a common task of all people, it calls for inclusiveness and the active participation of less developed countries that cannot be relegated to the passive role of recipients of development policies and projects designed elsewhere.
7. At the centre of development and the indispensable resource for any economy, the human person is also the key for a new chance for Africa. Entrepreneurs can provide success for the continent through the innovative quality of their entrepreneurial initiatives, which, in turn, require a realistic “enabling environment”. This enabling environment includes good infrastructures and predictable regulations. The tax regime must be fair and clear. A reliable dispute settlement institution must be enforced. The development of such an institutional setting is the main responsibility of governments, with the support of donors, but also of the civil society. Institutions are shaped by individuals and the proper development of an equitable and efficient institutional setting is therefore a collective responsibility of any society. This responsibility includes ensuring peace, education and health, but also economic development.
8. Access to credit remains an issue particularly significant for the informal sector which represents an important part of the economy in LDCs. Access to credit includes the condition that rates be affordable. Microfinance institutions may be very helpful provided that they have themselves a fair access to credit via commercial banks.
In developing countries foreign firms have a particularly important task: that of contributing to technological diffusion, of elevating production and work standards and of assisting local entrepreneurs. In this way they play a positive role in making globalisation more human.
9. Moreover respect for the necessary sense of equity calls for guaranteeing equality of opportunity for every entrepreneur on the international market. This could require the relaxation of some constraints that at present are limiting the degree of competitiveness of domestic enterprises in LDCs, compared to their counterparts in advanced economies. In particular the issue of non tariff barriers to trade (rules of origins, adoption of standards etc.) should be carefully analysed in order to be non discriminatory against the poorest countries
10. Not to be overlooked is that promoting entrepreneurship, especially at the beginning of the development process, is one of the major channels of job creation. The realisation of an “enabling environment” can allow both the creation of new jobs and the improvement in the quality and dignity of work. Work plays a crucial part in the life of every person who, as a protagonist, shows that the dignity of work interfaces with the dignity of the human person. Through work people participate in their own development and in the production and exchange of good and services and thus in the life of the society where they live as essential players for its development.
11. The achievement of high quality and dignity of work cannot be separated from the issue of health and education. This is true particularly in Africa where in some countries diseases and illiteracy are hampering the development of entire societies. Education is crucial for work not only because it allows to improve the quality of the goods and services that are produced but also because it provides the foundations of work relations and working conditions.
12. Addressing development and poverty eradication in Africa cannot ignore the predominant importance of its rural world. In Africa, the majority of the poor live in rural areas (three of every four people in developing countries) and most of them depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Half of the very poor living in rural areas is tied to very small farms. Improving life conditions in rural areas tackles directly poverty.
13. For years many farmers around the world were complaining of the low price of commodities which did not covered basic costs of production and did not permit a decent life to their families. Today, there is a new scenario in place. The increased price level for many soft commodities could have a positive impact on the revenue of several farmers in poor countries. At the same time low income populations can suffer from higher prices of staple food. The difficulties will be particularly high for net importing countries. Here the poorest farmers whose production is just enough to cover the needs of their family could not reap the benefits of the higher farm gate prices. In order to address this new situation the reduction of distorting subsidies in advanced economies should be accompanied by reforms in the poorest countries aimed at increasing agricultural production in a sustainable way. These reforms should not be limited to technical improvements in the productive processes but also include new organizational structures that could allow small and individual farmers to be more efficient and competitive. Some good initiatives are already working and need to be promoted (e.g. the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme supported by the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development).
14. On the other hand, sustainability implies that the success of the development of local agricultures should be linked with preserving the environmental equilibrium that in Africa is particularly delicate.
15. The people living in rural areas courageously confront adverse conditions and, at times, real catastrophes, that call for the solidarity of all. At the same time the dignity often displayed by the poor in such adverse conditions should be a lesson for us all. Looking for always more money, for a constant accumulation of goods, as it is often observed in richer population, can stir up an inordinate race that blinds people to the necessities of the poor and the respect of their dignity as well as obfuscate respect for God’s creation. Some attitudes are not sustainable, are unfair to the poorest in all countries, and should be counteracted by a simpler life-style.
Mr. President,
16. Placing the human person at the centre of economic concerns helps the international community to correctly manage the growing modern phenomenon of human mobility. Migrations affect the life of million of people and million of families. Many villages receive a decisive portion of their revenues from remittances sent home by migrants. While now migrations contribute to the globalization process as well as increase because of it, they more clearly play an economic role as a factor of development. At the same time, migrations have become a controversial political and social issue. However, to reduce migrants to a functional role of the economy and downplay their human rights will prove in the end a failing policy for development. In this century of migrations, the research and analysis capability of UNCTAD would be welcomed to build up a sort of “common ethic of emigration” for developing and developed countries. In LDCs an increasing share of emigrants is composed of skilled people. The reason for this migration is known: limited employment possibility, poor working condition, low level of pay and political instability while, at the same time, the demand for skilled people increases in developed countries often confronted with ageing of their population. The brain drain caused by such migration could be particularly costly for the poorest countries: “development needs the talents of Africans”. Thoughtful proposals have been put forward to make the flow of migration fruitful for both countries of origin and destination. They are to a large extent based on the concept of temporary movement. While recognising that educated persons working in more developed countries can gain additional skills and experience that can be placed at the benefit of the country of origin, it is crucial that these people may find at their return the conditions for putting into action with profit their newly acquired competence and experience and that their human rights be safeguarded all along the process of emigration, foreign residence and return to make emigration a win-win situation for development and conviviality.
17. In conclusion, Mr. President, the objectives of the Conference will be reached for the benefit of the world’s community if the spotlight is kept on the centrality of the human person in development and on the duty of solidarity that comes from the awareness that the family of nations is one where every individual and every country enjoy equal dignity. Although presently confronted with a slowdown of the world economy, that could trigger some fears about the future, we should however keep in mind that ultimately the human person has an innate resource in being created for the fulfilment of the common good and thus always open to the future with an outlook, not of fear, but full of hope.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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