Response by the Taoiseach to Pope Benedict XVI's Message for the World Day of Peace
I welcome the message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for the World Day of Peace 2010, which takes as its theme 'If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation'.
His Holiness has focussed attention on one of the greatest challenges facing humanity, namely, how we will collectively deal with the environmental degradation that we have brought about as a result of our own actions over the years. While the countries and peoples of the developed world, with all of our resources and our technologies, are struggling to meet the challenges of climate change, it is our fellow human beings in developing countries who are at greatest risk from the ravages wrought by climate change.
Through Ireland's work in developing countries, we can see clearly that the communities which have been most severely affected by climate change to date are the poorest and most vulnerable. The Irish Aid programme of assistance to developing countries is targeting these communities. Africa is home to 15 of the 20 countries most vulnerable to climate change and Africa is the area of primary focus for our aid programme.
Ireland will continue working with our partner countries to help them to adapt to climate change and to reduce their vulnerability. We are supporting watershed management programmes, the development of drought-resistant crops and social safety net programmes. We are helping local populations to develop their resilience and to strengthen their capacity to prepare for and cope with, natural disasters.
In Copenhagen, world leaders took the initial step on what, I hope, will be the road to a fair, equitable and comprehensive deal to address climate change. While the outcome reached was not all we had hoped and worked hard for, it does provide us with an initial basis from which to develop a comprehensive global response to the challenge of climate change. Ireland remains committed to accepting its fair share of responsibility within any new global deal that may emerge over the coming period. We will continue to work tirelessly to encourage a global deal that is equitable and just and that reflects the particular vulnerabilities of people in developing countries.
His Holiness has rightly situated the ecological crisis within a range of other challenges faced by mankind at present. He reminds us also of the enormous responsibility which the present generation has towards those of the future in dealing with the threat of climate change and the other great global challenges of our time. We in Ireland will not be found wanting in facing up to these challenges.
ENDS