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Fr Henriot calls for democratisation of UN

Fr Henriot calls for democratisation of UN
By Sheikh Chifuwe in Antigonish, Canada
Friday October 26, 2007 [04:00]

JESUIT Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) director Fr Pete Henriot has called for the democratisation of the United Nations and the international financial institutions if development and peace were to be meaningful. Addressing St Francis Xavier University students and the community of Antigonish in Canada on Tuesday evening under the theme, “global perspectives on the work of development and peace”, Fr Henriot said one of the solutions to underdevelopment was to make the international institutions such as the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organisation more democratic.

"These institutions were set up without the interest of the developing countries. They need to reform the power structures of these international financial institutions and the UN so that they are more representative," he said.

Fr Henriot also challenged the governments of the south to become more transparent and accountable to the people as the only other alternative of ensuring there was development and peace within their countries.

He said developing countries needed more regional co-operations and strengthened regional bodies such as the African Union and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).

He told the audience that globalisation had impacted negatively on Zambia and other developing countries as it had left most of the already poor people without employment due to its profit-oriented approach.

"The process is within the discredited neo-liberal market paradigm where they want to pursue economic reform without consideration of the social impact," Fr Henriot said.

"The political structures of the IFIs (International Financial Institutions) do not effectively include participation of government or civil society."

He said the imposed policies such as the Structural Adjustment Programme/Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper had weakened cultural values once cherished among the Zambians because of entrenched poverty.

He said there was no fullness in trying to transform the world economically in the absence of justice. Fr Henriot added that development was about movement of people from less human conditions to more human ones.

"We live in a country where economic indicators are taking off but people are remaining behind," he said.

He challenged the church to stand up for social teaching and campaign for social justice among the citizens of the world. Fr Henriot urged the church to pay special attention to controversial global issues.

"Influence church people to become activists, not just in charity but in justice. Development and peace must continue to grow and flourish," said Fr Henriot.

Women for Change executive director Emily Sikazwe thanked the organisers of the event for inviting participant from Zambia to address them.

The discussion was hosted by the university's Development Studies Students' Society.
Sikazwe is in Canada conducting a lecture at the Coady International Institute.

Labels: EMILY SIKAZWE, FR HENRIOT, UN, WFC

posted by MrK @ 7:13 AM