Malta's Ambassador to the U.N. addresses General Assembly on Population and Development

Malta's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr Joseph Cassar, on Tuesday addressed the 51 st session of the UN General Assembly on Population and Development.

A summary of Ambassador Cassar's statement follows hereunder.

"The centrality of the human being in development requires an approach to issues and their resolution which is qualitative not merely quantitative", stated Ambassador Joseph Cassar, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, when addressing the Second Committee of the UN.

The principal aim of population related goals and policies should be to improve the quality of life of all people. People were the most important and valuable resource of any nation. Lack of development and absolute poverty not only stimulated demographic imbalance but were an affront of our notion of shared values of human rights and dignity. The safeguard and furtherance of human rights and dignity should include nutrition, shelter, health, education, employment, development and social solidarity. The Cairo Programme of Action was an important affirmation of this delicate balance.

Major merit of 1994 ICPD Programme of Action was its comprehensive approach. Undue emphasis on any single aspect to the detriment of others generates a distortion in perspective which the international community can ill afford. Broad parameters and frameworks, essential in the formulation of strategies, should not be transformed into rigid prescriptions to be universally and indiscriminately imposed.

Ambassador Cassar then referred to investment in youth as essential for the future well-being of the world community, and the priority to education and training and generation of employment opportunities. Malta had consistently adopted the relevant social and economic measures to ensure and further this aim.

Referring to the increase in life expectancy and in the number and proportion of elderly persons, he said that the Malta Government viewed the elderly as citizens who had given their share to make the nation what it was. The community had to ensure not only physical and social security for the aged but the promotion of their continued participation as active members of society. Among the first to raise an international awareness on the question of ageing populations, Malta now hosted the UN International Institute of Ageing (INIA) which manifested the international community's concern on the issue.

Speaking on the empowerment and autonomy of women in the political, economic and social fields, Dr Cassar said these were important ends in themselves and essential for the achievement of sustainable development. Malta's commitment to the equal rights of men and women is underlined by Government's determination to enhance and update this vital social engagement. Education, access to economic resources and social services, and participation in decision-making were instrumental in elevating the status of women. The Malta Government was also fully committed to further enhance the status of women to make their equal role in society more effective and visible. "A spirit of partnership, which combats all forms of sexual discrimination, exploitation, harassment and violence against women at home and the workplace, is buttressed by a determination to promote affirmative action to ensure women's full participation in domestic, community and national decision-making," he said.

Violence and armed conflict uprooted communities forced to live as refugees with their right to life and dignity trampled upon. Such conflicts inhibited an enabling environment for sustainable growth and development and the process of democratisation and the promotion of human rights.