常启德:贫困仍是对和平的最大威胁 全球团结一致消除贫困

发布时间:2021-09-05 09:33:46  |  来源:中国网  |  作者:  |  责任编辑:姚宇琛
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近日,联合国驻华协调员常启德撰写署名文章《全球团结一致消除贫困——贫困仍是对和平的最大威胁》,文章如下:

《全球团结一致消除贫困——贫困仍是对和平的最大威胁》

作者:常启德

联合国驻华协调员,出生于印度加尔各答,即特蕾莎修女故居所在地。

联合国邮政管理局发行了一枚纪念特蕾莎修女的邮票。特蕾莎修女生于1910年8月26日,于1997年9月5日去世。照片来源:联合国邮政管理局

今天是9月5日国际慈善日,特蕾莎修女于1997年的这一天逝世。

特蕾莎修女曾说:“我们可以一起传递传播和平的喜悦、互相关爱的喜悦,以及将最贫困人群视作我们手足的喜悦。”

她作为代表性人物,因“致力于消除威胁和平的贫困和苦难”而荣获诺贝尔和平奖。

如今,各种形式及维度的贫困仍是全球和平所面临的最大威胁,也是实现2030年可持续发展议程必须消除的挑战。然而,令人遗憾的是,由于2019冠状病毒病疫情对生命和生计造成的严重损害,加之气候变化和冲突不断恶化,我们在消除贫困方面的进展停滞不前。

根据亚洲开发银行数据,这造成2020年亚洲新兴经济体有多达8000万人陷入极端贫困。这不仅难以接受,也不可持续。

世界各地的学者和社会政策专家都指出,贫困是一种非自然状态,如果任其加剧,就会助长基于仇恨及根植于极端主义意识形态的恶行滋生。在世界各地,贫困只会导致政治不稳定,以及针对妇女和女童、种族和宗教少数群体及难民的偏狭言论和暴力。

伴随2019冠状病毒病大流行而来的是家庭暴力和性侵犯阴影的“大流行”,针对亚裔的仇恨犯罪案件也在增多。呈现在我们眼前的是恐惧和憎恶言论可能造成的影响和破坏性后果。

但是动荡的不确定性仅持续不到一年,世界各地均推出了安全有效的2019冠状病毒病疫苗,其中一些正是在中国研发的。疫苗是我们应对这场全球卫生危机的重要武器。

疫苗为所有人带来了一线希望,并展现了全球科学界的真正领导力和决心。然而,我们当下决不能低估抗击贫困的艰巨挑战。本月晚些时候,各成员国代表团将召开第76届联合国大会,届时我们都需要思考,如果贫困是一场流行病、是对和平的威胁,那我们则需相应应对,制定计划,扭转局面。

在过去二十个月中,人类展现了不屈不挠的精神,当人人皆有一颗慈悲之心,这种精神产生的合力便更加强大。在世界各地,人们心怀大爱,用慈善行动对抗苦难,如应对近期2021年河南洪涝灾害,以及包括2008年汶川地震在内以往的自然灾害。

有何良方可以消除贫困,防止充满敌意的民族主义、仇外心理、种族主义和性别歧视日益猖獗?答案就是全球团结和同情心。

首先,绝大多数的2019冠状病毒病疫苗仅在高收入和中高收入国家接种,这加速了更具感染性的新变异毒株出现的可能。我们必须摒弃疫苗民族主义,采取行动公平分配疫苗,终结疫情,拯救生命并确保全球经济复苏。

迄今为止,中国已经向海外提供了超过9.9亿剂2019冠状病毒病疫苗。我赞赏中国有关部门近期承诺向2019冠状病毒病疫苗全球获取机制(COVAX)捐赠1亿美元的做法。正如外交部长王毅所宣布的,除在疫情期间捐赠的个人防护装备和其他物资之外,中国将在10月底之前为低收入国家捐赠超过1亿剂2019冠状病毒病疫苗,以支持疫苗的公平获取。

其次,最新的政府间气候变化专门委员会报告明确拉响了“全人类的红色警报”,与自然和平相处仍是21世纪的关键任务。在联合国生物多样性公约缔约方大会第十五次会议和联合国气候变化框架公约缔约方大会第二十六次会议召开之前,世界各国政府必须通过在生物多样性、清洁能源和粮食安全方面进行绿色转型投资来加快复苏。

第三,取得有意义变革的先决条件是代表各国公民意志的、坚定的政治领导力,各国公民愈发将自己的命运视为相互联系、命运与共的世界的一部分。

第四,各国政府必须信守承诺,用行动支持其公民应对相互交织的全球挑战,并果断采取行动,通过敢作敢为、深思熟虑的公共政策谋求进步,不让任何人掉队。

第五,我们必须积极构建新伙伴关系,动员合作社、微型企业和跨国公司等各类商业力量,以及学术组织、公益组织、民间社会、非政府组织和慈善组织采取行动,以支持各国政府消除极端贫困并实现可持续发展目标。

由中国宣布消除极端贫困的成功实践中,我们可以看出进步是确实可能的。

旨在实现可持续发展目标的“行动十年”还剩不到十年,我们现在还有机会改变世界:以同情心对抗仇恨,以尊重对抗愤怒。但这需要我们认识到,尽管面临的现实不同,但我们对自己和子孙后代有着共同的期望,也分享着共同的命运。

今年年初,联合国秘书长安东尼奥·古特雷斯曾表示:“我们可以从多灾之年转向‘可能之年’——充满可能性和希望的一年。”尽管悲观情绪和最近令人紧张的局势有时令人深感低迷,但我坚信,我们仍然可以寄希望于共通的人性。

今年9月5日是国际慈善日,在缅怀特蕾莎修女之时,让我们点燃和平的火炬,传递对世界各地弱势群体的同情。


英文文章如下:

《Global Solidarity to Eradicate Poverty - Poverty Remains the Ultimate Threat to Peace》

By Siddharth Chatterjee

UN Resident Coordinator in Chinaand born in the city that was Mother Teresa’s home - Calcutta, India.

The United Nations Postal administration has issued a commemorative stamp honoring Saint Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910 and died on September 05, 1997. Photo- UN Postal

Today is the International Day of Charity and the day Mother Teresa passed on September 5, 1997.

“We can together proclaim the joy of spreading peace, the joy of loving one another and the joy acknowledging that the poorest of the poor are our brothers and sisters.” These words were spoken by the late Mother Teresa.

An iconic figure who received the Nobel Peace Prize “for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which constitute a threat to peace.”

Today, poverty in all its forms and dimensions, remains the ultimate global threat to peace, whose eradication is an indispensable requirement for achieving the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. But with the COVID-19 pandemic severely damaging lives and livelihoods, multiplied by the forces of worsening climate change and conflict, our progress has regrettably stalled.

As a result, in 2020, up to 80 million people in emerging Asian economies were pushed into extreme poverty according to the Asian Development Bank. This is not only unacceptable; this is unsustainable.

Academicians and social policy experts worldwide have pointed to the fact that poverty is an unnatural condition, that if allowed to foment, facilitates the rise of movements based on hatred and rooted in extremist ideology. Across the world, poverty only gives way to political instability and the misdirected rhetoric of intolerance and violence towards women and girls, ethnic and religious minorities, and refugees.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a shadow pandemic of domestic violence and sexual assault and increasing levels of hate crimes perpetrated towards Asian women and men. We are witnessing what the words of fear and loathing can do and the damaging consequences.

But from the uncertainty of just under a year ago has emerged the rollout of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines throughout the world; some developed right here in China, a critical tool in our arsenal in responding to this global health crisis.

This presents a ray of hope for all and is a demonstration of true leadership and resolve from the global scientific community. One must not now, however, underestimate the challenge of combating poverty. As delegations soon convene for the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly later this month, we all need to consider that if poverty is an epidemic and a threat to peace, we need to treat it as such and plan to reverse it.  

As seen throughout the past twenty months, the human spirit perseveres and is never stronger than when joining forces for mercy. Around the world, misery has been met with purposeful love and with acts of charity engineered to counter suffering, as demonstrated by the response to the 2021 floods in Henan province and in past natural disasters including the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.

What is the antidote to poverty and the rise of rancorous nationalism, xenophobia, racism, and sexism? It is global solidarity and compassion.

First, the vast majority of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in high- and upper-middle-income countries, accelerating the new variants of concern that increase the risks of infection. We must reject vaccine nationalism, act to equitably distribute vaccines, put an end to the pandemic, save lives and secure global economic recovery.

China has so far provided more than 990 million doses of COVID19 vaccines overseas.I commend Chinese authorities for the recent pledge of US$ 100 million to the COVAX Facility, which will see more than 100 million doses donated towards equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for lower-income countries before the end of October, as announced by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in addition to China's donation of personal protective equipment and other supplies throughout the pandemic.

Second, the latest IPCC report presents a clear“code-red for humanity”and making peace with nature remains the defining task of the 21st century. In the lead-up to COP15 and COP26, governments around the world must accelerate recovery through transformational green investments in biodiversity, clean energy, and food security.

Third, meaningful change must be preceded by determined political leadership in representing the will of their citizens, who increasingly see their lot as part of a shared humanity in an interconnected world.

Fourth, governments must honour their word and support their citizens with actions in response to intertwined global challenges and act decisively in the pursuit of progress through bold and considered public policy, leaving no one behind.

Fifth, we must uphold the agenda of new partnerships and mobilize the action of diverse businesses, from cooperatives to micro-enterprises to multinationals, and academic, charitable, civil society, non-governmental and philanthropic organizations towards the eradication of extreme poverty and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in support of national governments.

In the announcement of China’s successful efforts in the fight against extreme poverty, we see that progress is indeed possible. 

With less than 10 years to go in this Decade of Action to achieve the SDGs, there is a chance to change the world here – to counter hatred with compassion, and anger with respect – but it requires the understanding that, despite our different realities, we have common hopes for ourselves and our children, as well as shared destinies.

At the outset of this year the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said, “We can move from an annus horribilis to make this an ‘annus possibilitatis’ – a year of possibility and hope.” Despite the feelings of pessimism and newly fraying forces that at times paint a picture of gloom, I am convinced that we can still harness the truth of our shared humanity.

As we commemorate International Day of Charity on the 5th of September this year in the memory of Mother Teresa, let us shine a torch for peace and compassion for the vulnerable everywhere. 

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