Vatican official: UN trade agency is ‘inspiration’ for Holy See’s positions

July 18, 2014

The secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace has paid tribute to UNCTAD, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, at a meeting in Geneva marking the body’s 50th anniversary.

Archbishop Mario Toso’s remarks, delivered on June 17, were published in the July 18 edition of L’Osservatore Romano.

“The Holy See strongly supported the original inspiration of UNCTAD that created a global trading system friendly to the development of poor countries,” said Archbishop Toso. “At the same time, it should be said that the critical evaluation of the evolution of the Global Economy conducted by UNCTAD and many of its insights relating to trade and development were quite helpful in the development of the social doctrine of the Church concerning relations with countries.”

“Notwithstanding the conclusion of the Uruguay Round of international trade negotiations in 1994, which moved most of the international trade discussion and agreement to the WTO, UNCTAD has remained the most important think-tank and political advocate of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and other countries with particular needs, and as such it continues to enjoy the deep esteem of the Holy See and continues to be an inspiration for its international positions,” he added.

 

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Further information:

• Per una nuova cultura di cooperazione (L’Osservatore Romano, p. 2)
• Full text of remarks (Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace)
• Trade and Development Board, Twenty-eighth special session – Fiftieth Anniversary of UNCTAD