THIRD UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

Closing Statement of the Holy See by Gioia Scappucci

Brussels, 20th May 2001

(Check Against Delivery)

Mr. President,

Amidst all the detail of our negotiations and our many inter-active and parallel events, it was the people of the Least Developed Countries who were at the centre of our concerns. Development means helping those people, and their communities, to realise fully their God-given potential and thus become not just beneficiaries of the progress of modern science and social progress, but active protagonists with equitable access to the resources of our world.

The Delegation of the Holy See expresses its satisfaction with the positive outcome of this Conference and hopes that this Closing Session, held here in Brussels at the Seat of the European Parliament, will now mark the beginning of a new commitment of solidarity between development partners and the least developed countries.

The Holy See expresses it appreciation to the European Union and its Swedish Presidency for their efforts in organising such a successful Conference and joins in the consensus around the Programme of Action.

The position of the Holy See on the expressions reproductive health and reproductive rights contained in the section entitled Population in Commitment 3 is to be interpreted in terms of the opening paragraph of that same section, which refers to the Reports of the ICPD and of the 21 S` Special Session of the General Assembly (ICPD+5). The Holy See's welcoming the consensus decision should in no way be interpreted as constituting a change in its well known position concerning those family planning and contraceptive methods which the Catholic Church considers morally unacceptable.

I would ask, Mr. President, that this Statement be inserted into the Report of the Conference.

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