HOLY SEE
Intervention by H.E. Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi,
Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations
an
Other International Organisations in Geneva
Human Rights Council
Special Session on the Right to Food
Geneva, 22 May 2008
Mr. President,
1. – The Delegation of the Holy See fully supports the priority attention
accorded to the current food crisis by means of this special session
of the Human Rights Council. The primary tasks before the global community
are to develop a coherent response within the context of the multiple
initiatives underway and to “mainstream” this crisis within the framework
of human rights. We are faced with the overwhelming challenge to adequately
feed the world’s population at a time when there has been a surge in global
food prices that threatens the stability of many developing countries. This
calls for urgent concerted international action. This crisis shines a “red
light” of alarm on the negative consequences affecting the long-neglected
agriculture sector when more than half of the world’s population struggle
to make their livelihood through such work. It calls attention to the
dysfunction of the global trade system when four million people annually
join the ranks of the 854 million plagued by chronic hunger. Hopefully, this
session will open the eyes of public opinion on the worldwide cost of hunger,
which so often results in lack of health and education, conflicts, uncontrolled
migrations, degradation of the environment, epidemics, and even terrorism.
2. – The international community long has recognized a right to food in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 (art. 25) and in the International
Covenant on economic, social and cultural rights of 1966 (art. 25), just
to mention some juridical instruments that proclaim the fundamental right
to freedom from hunger and malnutrition. Conferences and Declarations of
intergovernmental agencies rightfully have concluded that hunger is not due
to lack of food but rather is caused by the lack of access, both physical
and financial, to agricultural resources. The first Millennium Development
Goal aims to reduce by one-half the number of the people living in extreme
poverty and hunger by the year 2015. Society must confront the hard fact
that stated goals very often are not matched by consistent policies.
As a result, many millions of men, women and children face hunger everyday.
Higher prices may cause some inconvenience to families in developed countries
since they find it necessary to spend 20% of their income on food. However,
such prices are life threatening for the one billion people living in poor
countries since they are forced to spend nearly all their daily income of
$1 per day in search of food. The grave task before us is to design
and implement effective policies, strategies, and actions that will result
in food sufficiency for all.
3. – The problem of adequate food production is more than a temporary
emergency . It is structural in nature and should be addressed in the context
of economic growth that is just and sustainable. It requires measures dealing
not only with agriculture and rural development but also with health, education,
good governance, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. The impact
of international trade on the right to food and the liberalisation of trade
in agricultural products tend to favour multinational enterprises and, therefore
to harm production by the small local farms, which represent the base
of the food security in developing countries. A renewed commitment to agriculture,
especially in Africa, appears necessary. To this end, investments in agriculture
and rural development are important. Moreover, the duty of solidarity
toward the most vulnerable members of society must be recognized. When seen
through this ethical perspective, hoarding and price speculation are unacceptable
and individual property rights, including those of women, must be
recognised. The priority in food production should be to benefit people.
Unfair subsidies in agriculture need to be eliminated. To remedy the limitations
faced by small farms, cooperative structures can be organised. The utilization
of land for food production and for the production for other resources eventually
has to be balanced, not by the market, but by mechanisms that respond to
the common good.
Mr. President,
4. – In this complex and urgent debate on the right to food, a new mentality
is required. It should place the human person at the centre and not focus
simply on economic profit. Due to lack of food, too many poor die each day,
while immense resources are allocated for arms. The international community
must be galvanised into action. The right to food regards the future of the
human family as well as peace in the global community.