Vatican official says trade initiatives must not punish Africa's poor

Published: 2007-10-24

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- New trade initiatives aimed at boosting Africa's economy must not penalize the continent's already impoverished people, a Vatican official told the United Nations. Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican's representative to the United Nations in New York, made the comments in an address to the U.N. General Assembly Oct. 19, during a review of progress and challenges in Africa. The Vatican released a text of the comments Oct. 24. The archbishop noted that not all the news from Africa was bad. For example, he said, last year's economic growth on the continent was the highest in 30 years. He especially praised the New Partnership for Africa's Development, a program that for the last seven years has aimed at integrating Africa into the global economy through greater international cooperation. Nevertheless, Archbishop Migliore said, Africa continues to endure situations of conflict and extreme forms of poverty difficult to uproot.

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