POPE SAYS GLOBALIZATION, HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEACE WILL BE LESS CONSISTENT WITHOUT RELIGIOUS VALUES

(June 17, 2006): Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday met the president of the United Nations General Assembly, Jan Eliasson and urged that greater importance be given to religious dimension in issues such as globalization, human rights and world peace. During the 25-minute talk with Eliasson, who is also Sweden’s foreign minister, the Pope especially pointed to some of the shortcomings of the process of globalization, such as the scant importance given to the religious dimension in it. The Holy Father pointed out that even human rights could be less consistent without the contribution of religious values. The two agreed on the need for overcoming contrasts and establishing bridges so that all aspects of globalization can compete with one another for the welfare of and peaceful coexistence among all the people. The two discussed the ‘contribution that a dialogue among all religions can offer to peace and solidarity among all the inhabitants of the earth.”
Pope Benedict had invited Eliasson to the Vatican to discuss several issues, especially that of human rights in view of the newly created Human Rights Council of the United Nations which will be inaugurated by UN Secy-General, Kofi Annan on June 19, in Geneva. The council replaces the highly politicized Human Rights Commission, which was discredited because some countries with terrible human rights records used their membership to protect one another from condemnation. Commission members in recent years included Sudan, Libya, Zimbabwe and Cuba. The United States has not joined the new body, but says it will support it.
The U.N. chief will speak at the council's inauguration, said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric. «He will call on the council to make a clean break with past practices, while preserving the best features of the old system.» Annan «will encourage its members not to get caught up in political point-scoring and petty maneuvers,» the spokesman said. Jan Eliasson will also make keynote address to the new council.
The inaugural session of the Human Rights Council, set to last until 30 June, will bring together high-level representatives from over 100 countries and see delegates begin concrete work to allow the council to flesh out features that make it a stronger and more effective human rights body than its much-criticized predecessor.