Holy See cautions UN about abuse of power

(Sept.30,2009): :The Holy See is lamenting the abuse of power that causes development aid to hinge on a nation's willingness to disregard human rights. Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See at the United Nations, cautioned the U.N. general assembly against such an abuse, when he addressed the body at its headquarters in New York on Tuesday. He said the UN must live up to its Charter, where it affirms “We the peoples of the United Nation, reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights and dignity, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small.”
Vatican’s representative said “we must always remember that true development involves an integral respect for human life, which cannot be disconnected from the development of peoples." "Unfortunately," he charged, "in some parts of the world today, development aid seems to be tied to the recipient countries' willingness to adopt programs, which discourage demographic growth of certain populations by methods and practices disrespectful of human dignity and rights. He regretted that frequent attempts continue to be made to export such a mentality to developing countries, as if it were a form of cultural progress or advancement. Such policies, he said, constitute an abuse of power.
Rights and duties, explained Archbishop Migliore are not dependent upon treaties and agreements, but on the foundation of the equal dignity of every man and woman, be they citizens or aliens. The sharing of reciprocal duties, he said, is a more powerful incentive to action than the mere assertion of rights. In conclusion, Archbishop Migliore made a reference to the upcoming Copenhagan Climate Conference in December and stressed that environmental issues must be taken as a moral imperative and translated into legal rules, capable of protecting our planet .