At UN forum, Vatican envoy calls for international pacts to ensure safe water supply
March 23, 2017
At a UN international forum on water and sustainable development, the Vatican’s representative said: “Access to safe drinking water is a basic human right and a condition for sustainable development.”
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the permanent observer for the Holy See at UN headquarters in New York, said that this week the Vatican is also hosting a conference on mater, with 400 experts and activists discussing the challenge of providing safe water for all.
Although water is essential to life, polluted water can be deadly, the Vatican representative reminded his audience, noting that dysentery and cholera remain leading causes of death, especially for infants and children in poor societies. He cited the call of Pope Francis for all states to recognize a duty to safeguard the supply of clean water.
Competition for water can be very destabilizing,” Archbishop Auza continued, pointing to cases in which different countries vie for the use of water sources that cross their boundaries. He recommended the adoption of “binding instruments to ensure stable and predictable transnational relations.”
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: [email protected] -
Mar. 23, 2017 10:36 PM ET USA
Great idea but how does he proposed the UN do this. Does he proposed the UN control everyone's water? I would fight the UN or any other globalist proposing such a plan including the Vatican. Such schemes will not work. Vatican is pushing Agenda 21. Sad to see the Church get involved in this.
