Cardinal Decries Unfulfilled Promises of Aid

Renato Raffaele Cardinal Martino

Function: President of Justice and Peace, Roman Curia

Title: Cardinal Deacon of St. Francis of Paola ai Monti

Birthdate: Nov 23, 1932	Country: Italy

Elevated: Oct 21, 2003	More information: www.catholic-hierarchy.org

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Cardinal Decries Unfulfilled Promises of Aid
May 17, 2006
Cites "Serious Moral Obligation" to Developing Countries

BARCELONA, Spain, MAY 12, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Only five European countries are fulfilling their promised level of aid to developing countries, says the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

Cardinal Renato Martino, speaking Thursday at the opening of the 22nd World Congress of Catholic Medical Associations, revealed that most European countries have failed to dedicate 0.7% of their gross national product to aid development.

First pledged in a 1970 U.N. General Assembly resolution, the 0.7% target has been affirmed in international agreements over the years, including the March 2002 International Conference on Financing for Development, in Mexico, and at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in South Africa later that year.

"When commitments are made to the poorest, then we face a serious moral obligation," the cardinal said.

"If there is non-fulfillment, to the natural frustration of abortive expectations is added the lack of confidence which can easily lead to despair," he added.

The countries that have kept their promise are the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Luxembourg and Norway.

Cardinal Martino reminded his audience of the commitments acquired by the international community to eradicate poverty by 2015, and said that "the experts remind us that with the present tendency in favor of the poor those objectives will be reached in 2150."

Genuine development must always be oriented to the human being, said the cardinal. He cited as an example the 1991 Rio Declaration, which recognized the priority role of the human being.

The World Congress of Catholic Medical Associations is being held in Barcelona, with more than 1,000 doctors from 78 countries attending.

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