Archbishop Gallagher: UN development goals must have human person at centre
By Sr. Nina Benedikta KrapiÄ, VMZ
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vaticanâs Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, was present at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. It was held under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly on 18-19 September, which is focused on reviving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In his statement, the Archbishop recalled Pope Francisâs 2015 speech at UN General Assembly, where the Pope described the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as âan important sign of hopeâ.
At the time, the Pope also warned about the danger of remaining âcontent with the bureaucratic exercise of drawing up long lists of good proposals â goals, objectives and statisticsâ without following through with them.
Instead, said the Pope, the international community should keep alive and deliver active hope, which âmakes things happen and is life-changing.â
Dangers of a throwaway culture
Archbishop Gallagher urges UN member states to accelerate progress to âshift the world on to a sustainable and resilient path.â
He said the SDG Summit must not serve as a platform for âabstract declarations rather for taking concrete actions to address the greatest challenges of our time.â
The Archbishop highlighted the challenges of war and conflict, poverty and hunger, violence, social exclusion, climate change and environmental degradation, and the pervasive âthrowaway cultureâ.â
He warned against a throwaway culture in which âpersons are no longer seen as a paramount value to be cared for and respected, especially when poor or disabled,â and are discarded as âânot yet usefulâ â like the unborn, or âno longer neededâ â like the elderly.â
Putting human person at centre of society
According to Archbishop Gallagher, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda is primarily a matter of delivering on a new model of development that has the human person at its centre, is geared towards the common good, and grounded in ethical principles of justice, solidarity, and shared responsibility.
In conclusion, the Archbishop said the success of the UN SDG Summit will depend on nationâs genuine commitment towards multilateralism.
He urged UN member states to work together toward a future in which the inherent dignity of every person is respected, the needs of the poor and those in vulnerable situations are met, and a harmonious relationship with the environment is restored.
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