Archbishop Silvanus Tomasi at the I LO, Geneva

(June 11, 2009) The International Labour Organization is called to play a critical role in confronting the consequences of the current economic crisis on workers, their families and the entire human community, especially on the most vulnerable groups and those who lose the right to social protection by losing their job, said Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations. He was speaking at the International Labour Conference at Geneva, on the 10^th of June 2009. With the global economy experiencing its deepest downturn, the ILO has forecast an increase in world unemployment to over 7% in 2009 up from 5.7% in 2007. He added that the poorest economies have been hit hardest during the last two years, by the increase in food prices, and later by the adverse effects of the economic crisis. In this context the Archbishop emphasised that the Social Doctrine of the Church has always stressed that labour has an intrinsic priority over capital. Labour proceeds from the person; is an inherent expression of personal identity; and ultimately finds its source of value in the richness and depth of the person. While the Global Jobs Pact becomes an ethical requirement, the Archbishop spoke of the ILO policy of providing jobs and realization of standards in terms of safety, wages, health, environment, and similar rights. He added that the Holy See praises all the efforts that are aimed at improving working conditions, especially of the poor, as well as the introduction of new standards, like the protection of domestic workers, it stresses the need to recognize that a work-centred strategy has to put the person, not the task, at the centre of the production process. While stressing the dignity of workers he said that the Holy Father has invited all to offer security to families and stability to workers and, through appropriate regulations and controls, to restore ethic to the financial world.