Presently celebrating its 70th anniversary is one of important common achievements over a period of unusually fast paced changes. Without claiming to be exhaustive, we can mention the codification and development of enter natural law, the establishment of International Norms regarding human rights, advances in humanitarian law, the resolution of numerous conflicts, operations of Peace Keeping and reconciliation, and any number of other accomplishments in every area of International Activity and endeavor. Lights which help to dispel the darkness of the disorder caused by unrestrained ambitions and collective forms of selfishness. Certainly many great problems remain to be resolved, yet it is clear that without all those interventions on the international level, mankind would not have been able to survive the unchecked use of its own possibilities. Every one of these political duritical and technical advances is a part of obtaining mean for greater realization. So for this reason i pay homage to all these men and women whose loyalty and self sacrifice have benefited human tea as whole over these past 70 years. In particular today i would like to recall those what have given their lives for peace and reconciliation among peoples, the many United Nations officials at every level who have been killed in the course of humanitarian missions and missions of peace and reconciliation. The experience of the past 70 achievements has made it clear that reform and adaptation to the times is always necessary in the pur sat of the ultimate goal of granting all countries, without exception, a share in and a genuine and equitable influence on Decision Making processes. The need for greater equity is especially true in the case of those bodies with effective executive capabilities such as the security council, the financial agencies, and the groups or mechanisms which were specifically created to deal with economic crises. This will help to limit every kind of abuse or usery, especially where developing countries are concerned. The International Financial agencies should ensure that they are not subjected to oppressive lending systems which [ applause ] so the International Financial agencies should cur for the sustainability of countries and should ensure that they are not subjective to oppressive lending systems which far from promoting progress subject people to mechanisms which generate greater poverty, exclusion, and dependence. The work of the United Nations, according to the principles set forth in the preamble and the first articles of its founding charter, can be seen as the development and promotion of the rule of law, based on the realization that justice is an essential condition for achieving the ideal of universal fraternity. In this context, it is helpful to recall that the limitation of power is an idea implicit in give to each his own, to cite the classic definition of justice, means that no human individual or group can consider itself absolute, permitted to bypass the dignity and rights of other individuals or the social groupings. [ applause ] the effect of distribution of power, political, economic, defense related, technological, among a creation of the system for regulating claims and interests are one concrete way of limiting power. Yet todays world presents us with many false rights, and at the same time, broad sectors, which are vulnerable victims of power that is badly exercised, the Natural Environment and the vast ranks of men and women who are excluded. These are sectors closely inter connected and made increasingly fragile by the dominant political and economic relationships. That is why their rights must be forcefully affirmed by working to protect the environment and by putting an end to exclusion. [ applause ] first, it must be stated that a true right of the environment does exist, and for two reasons. First, because we human beings are part of the environment. We live in communion with it. Since the environment itself entails ethical limits which human activity must acknowledge and respect, man, for all his remarkable gifts, which are signs of a uniqueness which transcends the spheres of same time a part of these spheres. He possesses a body shaped by physical, chemical, and biological elements, and can only survive and develop if the ecological environment is favorable. Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm to humanity. Second, because every creature, particularly a living creature, has an intrinsic value. Its existence, its life, its beauty, and its inter dependence with other creatures. We christians, together with the other mono theistic religions believe that the universe is the fruit of a loving decision by the creator who permits man respectfully to use creation for the good of his fellow man and for the glory of the creator, but he is not authorized to abuse it, and much less is he authorized to destroy it. [ applause ] in all religions, the environment is a fundamental good. The misuse and destruction of the environment are also accompanied by a relentless process of exclusion. In effect, a selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity leads both to the misuse of available fall resources and to the exclusion of the weak. And the disadvantage, either because they are differently abled, handicapped, or because they lack adequate information and technical expertise, or are incapable of decisive political action. Economic and social exclusion is a complete denial of human offense against human rates and the environment and the poorest of those who suffer most from such offenses for three serious reasons. They are cast off by society, forced to live of what is discarded, and suffer unjustly from the consequences of the abuse of the environment. These phenomena are part of todays widespread and quietly growing culture of waste. [ applause ] the dramatic reality of this whole situation with its evident effects has led me, in union with the entire christian people and many others, to take stark also to take stock also of my grave responsibility in this regard. And, therefore, to speak out, together with all those who are seeking urgently needed and effective solutions. The adoption of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development at the world summit, which opens today, is an important sign of hope. I am similarly confident that the paris conference on climatic change will secure agreements. Now, solemn commitments, however, are not enough, even though they are a necessary step towards solutions. The classic definition of justice which i mentioned earlier contains as one of its essential elements a constant and perpetual will. Demands of all government leaders a will which is a effective, practical constant with concrete steps and preserving and improving the Natural Environment and thus putting an end as quickly as possible to the phenomenon of social and economic exclusion. With its painful consequences of human trafficking, the marketing of human organs and tissues, Sexual Exploitation of boys and girls, slave labor, including prostitution, the drug and weapons trade, terrorism, and international organized crime. [ applause ] such is the magnitude of these situations, lives that we must avoid every temptation to fall into a declarationist nominalism which would just assuage our own consciences. We need to ensure that our institutions are truly effective in the struggle against all these scourges. The number and complexity of the problems require that we possess technical instruments of verification, but this involves two risks. We can rest content with the drawing up long lists of good proposals, goals, objectives, and statistical indicators, or we can think that a single theoretical and a prioritized solution will provide a solution to these challenges. It must never be forgotten that political and Economic Activity is only effective when it is understood as a credential activity, guided by a perennial concept of justice and consciously conscious of the fact that above and beyond our plans and programs, we are dealing with real men and women suffer, and are often forced to live in great poverty and deprived of all rights. [ applause ] to enable these real men and women to escape from extreme poverty, we must allow them to be dignified agents of their own destiny. Integral Human Development and the full exercise of human acts of dignity cannot be imposed. They must be built up and allowedtown fold for each individual for every family in communion with others. And in a right relationship human social life develops, friends, communities, towns, cities, schools, businesses, unions, provinces and nations. Now, this proposes the right to education, also for girls who are excluded in certain places. [ applause ] the right to education which is ensured first and foremost by respecting and reinforcing the primary right of the family to educate its children as well as the right of churches and social groups to support and assist families in the education of the boys and girls. Is the basis for the implementation of the 2030 agenda, and for reclaiming the environment. At the same time, government leaders must do Everything Possible to ensure that all can have the minimum spiritual and material means needed to live in dignity and to create and support a family, which is the primary cell of any social development. In practical terms, this lodging, labor, and land. And one spiritual name. Spiritual freedom, which includes religious freedom, the right to education, and all other civil rights. Now for all this the simplest and best measure and indicator of the implementation of the new agenda for development will be effective, practical, and immediate access on the part of all to essential material and spiritual goods. Remon rated remunerated labor. These pillars of integral Human Development have a common foundation, and this is the right the life and, more generally what we could call the right to existence of human natured self. [ applause ] the he can loming cal crisis, together with the large scale destruction of very existence of the human species. The baneful consequences guided only by the ambition for wealth and power must serve as a summons to a forthright reflex on man. Man is not only a freedom which he creates for himself, man does not create himself, he is spirit and will, but also nature. Creation is compromised where we ourselves have the final word. The misuse of creation begins when we no longer recognize any when we see nothing else but ourselves. Consequently, the defense of the environment and the fight against exclusion demand that we recognize a moral law written into human nature itself, one which includes the natural difference between man and woman, and the absolute respect for life in all its stages and dimensions. [ applause ] without the recognition of certain incontestable natural ethical limits, and without the immediate implementation of those pillars of integral Human Development, the ideal of saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war and of promoting social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom risks becoming an unattainable illusion, or even worse, just idle chatter which serves as a cover for all kinds of abuse and corruption, or for carrying out an ideological colonization by the imposition of nominalists models and lifestyles which are eight lee ento peoples which are eight lee en which are alien to peoples irresponsible. War is a dramatic assault on the environment. If we want true, integral Human Development for all, we must work tirelessly to avoid war between nations and between peoples. [ applause ] to this end theres a need to restore the rule of law and tireless course to negotiation, mediation, and arbitration as proposed by the which constitutes true al fundamental duritical norm. The experience of these 70 years since the founding of the United Nations in general, and in particular the experience of those these first 15 years of the Third Millennium reveal both the effectiveness of the full application of International Norms, and the ineffectiveness of their lack of enforcement. When the charter of the United Nations is respected and applied with transparency and sincerity and without ulterior obligatory matter, without masking intentions, peaceful results will be attained. [ applause ] when, on the other hand, the norm is considered simply as an instrument to be used whenever it proves favorable, and then to be avoided when it is not a true pandoras box is opened, releasing Uncontrollable Forces which gravely harm defenseless populations, the cultural millure and even the biological environment, the preamble and the first article of the charter of the United Nations set forth the foundations of the international diuretical framework. Peace, the resolution of disspiewrkts and the development of friendly relations between nations. Now, strongly opposed to such statements and in practice denying them is the constant tendency to the proliferation of arms, especially weapons of mass destruction, such as Nuclear Weapons. Under ethics and law, based on the threat of mutual destruction, and possibly the destruction of all mankind are selfcontradictory and represent an affront to the nations, which would end up as a nations united by fear and distrust. There is urgent need to work for a world free of Nuclear Weapons in full application of the nonproliferation treaty in letter and spirit towards the goal of a complete prohibition of these weapons. [ applause ] the recent agreement reached on the nuclear question in a sensitive region of asia and the middle east is proof of the potential law, exercised with sincerity, patience, and con stan see. I express my hope that this agreement will be lasting and efficacious and bring forth the desired fruits with the cooperation of all the parties involved. In this sense, hard evidence is not lacking of the negative effects of military and political interventions which are not coordinated between members of the international community. For this reason, while regretting to have to do so, i regarding the painful situation of the entire middle east, north africa, and other african countries, where christians, together with other cultural or ethnic groups, and even members of the majority religion who have no desire to be caught up in hatred and follow lee, have been forced to twit destruction of the places of worship, their cultural and religious heritage, their houses and property, and to face the alternative either of fleeing or of paying for their adhesion to good and to peace by their [ applause ] these realities should serve as a grave summons to an examination of conscience on the part of those charged with the conduct of international affairs. And not only in cases of religious or cultural persecution, but in every situation of conflict, as in you ukraine, syria, iraq, libya, sudan, and the great lakes region. Real human being take precedence. However, in wars and conflict there are individual persons, our brothers and sisters, men and girls who weep, suffer, and die. Human beings who are easily discarded when our only response is to draw up lists of problems, strategies, and disagreements. As i wrote in my letter to the secretary general of the United Nations, on the 9th of august, 2014, the most basic understanding of Human Dignity compels the international community, particularly through the norms and mechanisms of international law, to do all that it can to stop and to prevent further suspect mattic religious minorities, and to protect innocent peoples. [ applause ] along the same lines, i would mention another kind of conflict, which is not always so open, yet is silently killing millions of people. Another kind of war experienced by many of our societies as a result of the narcotics trade. A war which is taken for its very nature accompanied by trafficking in persons, money laundering, the arms trade, child exploitation, and other forms of corruption. A corruption which is penetrated to the Different Levels of social, political, military, artistic, and religious life. And in many cases has given rise to a parallel structure which threatens the cred bill tea of our institutions. The visits of my predecessors and my i would hope that my words will be taken as a continuation of the final words of the address of pope paul vi spoken almost exactly 50 years ago. They remain ever timely. And i quote. The hour has come when a pause, a moment of recollection, reflection, even of prayer, is absolutely needed so that we may think back over our common origin, our history, our common destiny, the appeal to the moral conscience of man has never been as necessary as it is today, for the danger comes neither from progress, nor from science if these are used well. They can help to solve a great number of the Serious Problems besetting mankind. Among other things, human genius well applied will surely help to meet the great challenges of ecological deterioration and of exclusion. And i continue in quoting pope paul 6 00. The real danger comes from man who has at his disposal ever more powerful instruments that are as well fitted to bring about ruin as they are to achieve lofty conquest. That is what pope paul vi said. The common home of all men must continue to rise on the foundations of a rate understanding of universal fraternity and respect for the sacredness of every human life, of every man and every woman, the poor, the elderly, children, the infirm, the unborn, the unemployed, the abandoned, and those considered disposable because they are only considered as part of one or another statistic. [ applause ] this common home of all men and women must also be built on the understanding of a certain sacredness of created nature. Now such understanding and degree of wisdom, one which accepts transcendens, and at the same time rejects the creation of elite and recognizes the full meaning of individual and collective life is found in the Selfless Service to others, and in the sage and