杏MAP导航

The theme for this meeting at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg was 鈥淭he Challenge of Universality鈥� and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher on Monday ascended to the platform to speak about, 鈥淚ntegral Human Development and the Universality of Human Rights in the Multilateral Context鈥�.

In his address to mark the 70^th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Archbishop focused on three major challenges which he said, 鈥渋n the present historical context, threaten the recognition of the universality of human rights, and then look for possible paths of response.鈥�

Challenges

The first challenge to the universality of human rights, he noted, 鈥渃omes from the model of social development that we are pursuing, both at the level of advanced economies and at the global level.鈥� Archbishop Gallagher went on to say that in recent years, Western societies were succumbing to a greater breakdown of the social fabric, due, he said 鈥渢o multiple factors such as the growth of inequalities, the impoverishment of some sectors of the population, job insecurity, as well as the drastic downsizing of social protection systems.鈥�

Even on a global level, he added, 鈥渄espite the overall growth of the world economy, entire populations remain in poverty鈥︹��

A second challenge to the universality of human rights, underlined the Secretary for Relations with States, 鈥渄erived from the growing cultural pluralism that we experience within our societies.鈥�

The third, the Archbishop noted, 鈥渁rose from the instability of the international order and the growing threats to peace.鈥� 

Possible Solutions

In response to these challenges, Archbishop Gallagher offered some possible solutions from the perspective of the Holy See.

With regard to the first, he stressed that it was fundamental 鈥渢o return to an essential aspect of the Universal Declaration: namely, the simultaneous affirmation of 鈥減olitical and civil鈥� rights together with 鈥渆conomic, social and cultural鈥� rights.鈥�

He went on to say that 鈥渢his vision fully reflected what, from the perspective of the Church鈥檚 Social Teaching, is called 鈥渋ntegral human development鈥�.

Turning to the second challenge, that of a growing cultural pluralism, the Archbishop said that he believed, 鈥渁n answer must be sought in the robust affirmation of the right to freedom of religion, which is a condition for mutual respect and for real equality in the context of a pluralist society.鈥�

Finally, in response to the third challenge, the Archbishop underlined that if the dignity and rights of others are disregarded or trampled underfoot, then even one鈥檚 own dignity and rights are in jeopardy.

This, he continued, 鈥� is what we are witnessing more and more frequently: grave economic and social injustices that affect most of humanity have also a direct impact in Europe. The migrant and refugee crisis has taught us, among other things, this very point.鈥�

Everything is interconnected

More than fifty years ago, Archbishop Gallagher pointed out, 杏MAP导航 Paul VI said that 鈥渄evelopment is the new name for peace鈥�. This teaching, he went on to say, 鈥渋s also clearly expressed by 杏MAP导航 Francis in his Encyclical Letter Laudato Si', where he constantly stresses that 鈥渆verything is interconnected鈥�.鈥�

This phrase, said the Archbishop, 鈥渃ould be another way of expressing the universality of human rights.鈥�

Concluding his address, Archbishop Gallagher commented that 鈥渦ltimately, the universality of human rights rests on the universal character of the human person, which is intrinsic to it by reason of its natural openness to a truth that transcends itself." It is precisely, he said, 鈥渦pon this common openness that the universality of the human family is founded.