Vatican diplomat: Give poorest nations greater access to finance, technology

October 16, 2026

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CWN Editor's Note: A leading Vatican diplomat called upon the international community to grant countries in “special situations”—the least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), and small island developing States (SIDS)—greater access to finance and technology.

Addressing a UN committee meeting, Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, said recently that “countries in special situations must have the means to invest in their development, strengthen their resilience, and respond to emerging crises. This requires greater access to concessional financing; addressing unsustainable debt burdens, including through debt cancellation and technology transfer.”

Archbishop El-Kassis added:

We must place people at the center of our efforts. The measure of development is not simply economic growth, but whether the inherent God-given dignity of each person is recognized by providing the conditions necessary for them to flourish.

Investments in healthcare, education, decent work and social protection systems are therefore indispensable ... Solidarity should indeed be embraced as both a principle and a virtue, recognizing the unique vulnerabilities of countries in special situations and responding accordingly.

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