Washington D.C., Sep 13, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The U.S. bishops have urged the Bush Administration to make the United Nations World Summit, which begins today in New York, an occasion "to adopt new initiatives that will enable poor countries, particularly in Africa, to break the cycle of poverty" and to work toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Leaders of more than 170 nations will meet at U.N. headquarters in New York, Sept. 14-16.
In a letter last week to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Bishop John Ricard, chairman of the bishops’ International Policy Committee, said working against poverty must be a priority for the United States at this summit meeting.
"I urge the United States to give high priority to strengthening implementation of the global compact between rich and poor countries to achieve the human development and poverty eradication goals agreed to in the United Nations Millennium Declaration," Bishop Ricard wrote.