A NEW CULTURE OF SOLIDARITY, SHARING THE BENEFITS OF PROGRESS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 4, 2000 (VIS) - Published today was the June 30 speech by Bishop Diarmuid Martin, head of the Holy See delegation to the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Social Development. This session, held in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 26 to July 1, was dedicated to an evaluation of the enactment of the objectives established in March 1995 in Copenhagen at the World Summit on Social Development.

In his speech in English, he pointed out that "the Copenhagen Summit embraced 'a political, economic, ethical and spiritual vision for social development'." Such development, he added, "flourishes in those societies which are participatory and democratic, in which human rights are fostered and in which the citizens can become the true protagonists of the decisions which affect their lives."

Bishop Martin then noted that there have been, however, in the five years since the summit, "a number of unsettling developments," foremost of which "is the inability of the community of nations to provide the necessary means - both financial and in terms of political will - to achieve certain goals and targets solemnly proclaimed. ... A prerequisite of a true community of nations is that promises be honored by both the powerful and the weak."

He underlined the "unprecedented era of scientific growth which has produced great benefits for humankind, but in which we have not yet found the science of adequately sharing. ... Our generation will be judged in history perhaps above all on this one question: Did we or did we not successfully address the challenge of placing the extraordinary fruit of the human genius in the field of information technology truly at the service of all mankind?"

The head of the Holy See delegation urged building "an international culture of solidarity. A world which leaves millions of its citizens on the margins of progress has no right to claim for itself the title 'global.' The term 'global' must become synonymous with 'inclusive'! ... There is, in fact, no sustainable alternative to solidarity."

He closed by highlighting two factors necessary for integral human development: the recognition of human dignity through access to work and a workplace of quality, and the elimination of wars and conflicts, which are too often the causes of poverty today. "It is surely not beyond the ability of the community of nations to find ways of effectively addressing issues such as economic exploitation of conflict situations or massive disproportionate arms spending."

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