HOLY SEE "DISCONCERTED" AT REVIEW OF CAIRO ICPD

VATICAN CITY, JUL 3, 1999 (VIS) - Archbishop Renato Martino, head of the Holy See delegation to the 21st Special Session of the U.N. General Assembly for the overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), addressed the session yesterday.

The Holy See, he recalled, had participated in all preliminary meetings in New York and in the Cairo conference itself in September 1994, and "was able to join the consensus on parts of the Cairo document." However, he stated, "the (current) negotiations ... have taken a step backward, placing unbalanced emphasis on population issues at the expense of development."

Archbishop Martino underscored the Holy See's commitment to "not renegotiate the ICPD Program of Action." Thus, he said, it was "particularly disconcerting that some delegations, mainly Western States, have sought in these negotiations to undo the careful balancing needed between adolescents' need for privacy and confidentiality with parental rights, duties and responsibilities - parents' prior rights as affirmed in the Declaration on Human Rights."

"The Holy See finds it particularly disturbing that some Western States would take away the parental rights, duties and responsibilities with one hand and require that they exercise those responsibilities on the other hand.

"The Holy See has also not failed to express its grave concern regarding the introduction of so-called 'emergency contraception' which can serve as an abortifacient by preventing the implantation of a fertilized egg.

"The Holy See further notes with profound regret that in calling for expanded health services, including so-called 'safe abortion', the text presented has failed to affirm protection for the right of conscience of health providers, a fundamental right affirmed by, inter alia, Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

The nuncio to the United Nations affirmed that "the Holy See will continue to call upon the family of nations to protect the dignity and human rights of each and every person, especially the most vulnerable, and to promote the common good. ... (It has in no) way changed its moral position concerning abortion or contraception ... (and) reaffirms its belief that life begins at conception and every human life needs to be protected from the earliest moment to the end of the life cycle."

DELSS;CAIRO CONFERENCE;...;UN; MARTINO;VIS;19990705;Word: 380;