Holy See Appeals to Rich Countries in U.N. to Help Africa

NEW YORK, OCT. 20, 2004 (Zenit.org).- The Holy See made an urgent appeal in the U.N. General Assembly, encouraging rich countries to help Africa, a continent scourged by wars and diseases.

Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, on Tuesday addressed a plenary session of the General Assembly dedicated to the analysis of the progress and the international support for the New Partnership for Africa's Development. The session also discussed an initiative to stop malaria in developing countries.

The Pope's ambassador to the United Nations reminded his listeners of "the duty of the international community, especially the more powerful countries, of redressing the economic imbalances that penalize Africa."

The archbishop lamented that "the recent Councils of Governors of the IMF and of the World Bank, as well as the meeting of the Ministers of Finance of the G-7 which preceded them, failed to agree on the total cancellation of debt of the 27 poorest countries."

"At least it can be said that consensus was reached for the first time in history on the necessity of eliminating such a debt," he acknowledged.

The Holy See representative cited as a criterion for development in the continent the need for Africans to be the protagonists.

"This management in solidarity of Africa's affairs by Africans will allow important advances in the provision of basic necessities -- clean water, food, housing, access to health care and reduction in the spread of malaria and HIV," he said.