5 December 2003, Vatican City --
Pope John Paul II today gave his backing to the International
Alliance Against Hunger promoted by the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations.
The
Pope was speaking at a special audience for delegates from many
of FAO's 188 Members attending the Organization's
biennial Conference at its Rome headquarters.
He said: "Our meeting today allows me to
express the appreciation of the Catholic Church for the
important service which FAO renders to humanity."
He went on: "Today this service is
more urgently needed than ever. Hunger and malnutrition,
aggravated by growing poverty, represent a grave threat to the
peaceful coexistence of peoples and nations."
He told the delegates gathered in the
baroque splendour of the Vatican's Sala Clementina:
"Given this close relationship between hunger and
peace, it is clear that economic and political decisions and
strategies must increasingly be guided by a commitment to global
solidarity and respect for fundamental human rights, including
the right to adequate nourishment."
"For this reason I am confident that the work
of FAO in establishing an International Alliance Against Hunger
will bear fruit in practical choices and political decisions
inspired by the awareness that humanity is one
family."
Contact:
Nick Parsons
Chief, News & Multimedia
nick.parsons@fao.org
(+39) 06 570
53276
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