VATICAN CITY - A statement by Vatican observer Gabriel Caccia at the Third International Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, held in Awaza, Turkmenistan, on 6 August, said that poverty "is not inevitable, but is the result of unjust structures and political decisions and can and must be overcome".

There is a trade with the right mission, which is based on the "principle of the universal destination of goods" and which guarantees development and thus dignity. Unfortunately, however, there are also forms of 'unfair trade' which, through 'unfair international rules', disadvantage structurally weaker countries, which 'often suffer from a lack of capital, exacerbated by the burden of foreign debt'. Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York, in his statement at the Third International Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, held on 6 August in Awaza, Turkmenistan, focused on the dynamics of this basic and vital sector in the era of the globalised economy.

Under the rules of solidarity

Landlocked developing countries are the geographic area that suffers most from unfair trade practices that easily lead to "intensive overexploitation of the environment" and "hunger and poverty" in these areas. In order to remedy this situation, Archbishop Caccia affirmed, "trade must be shaped by the demands of justice and solidarity" and international trade, if "properly oriented, promotes development and can create new employment opportunities and provide useful resources".

Poverty is the child of injustice

As in many other cases, the Vatican representative called on the international community to make a concrete political decision, especially in favour of the countries that are the subject of the Turkmenistan conference, which are often burdened by "widespread and complex" poverty that "denies millions of people the satisfaction of their basic needs". These countries, recalled Mons. Caccia, although different in history, culture and economy, "they face the same systemic challenges, including unsustainable debt, high transport costs and vulnerability to climate change and external shocks". Poverty, he further noted, "results from various forms of cultural deprivation and denial of cultural rights", but in this way "it is not inevitable; it is the result of unjust structures and political choices and can and must be overcome".

Let business promote the good of all

The human person "must remain at the centre of all development strategies" and trade and economic growth "are not ends in themselves, but means to promote the integral human development of each person and the advancement of the common good", Archbishop Caccia concluded.

Alessandro De Carolis

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