Caritas Internationalis Secretary-General Lesley-Anne Knight will be attending the World Economic Forum in Davos 27 to 31 January, urging a return of human values to economics.

The annual WEF brings together business leaders, politicians and heads of state, with artists, academics, religious leaders, and other civil society representatives.

The Caritas Internationalis Secretary General will be representing 165 Catholic national charities that work in over 200 countries around the world. Dr Knight will call for a reshaping of global institutions and structures to put ethics, values and respect for the human person into international financial systems.

Lesley-Anne Knight said, “Finance has been focused on financial mechanisms, profits, and bonuses. Human beings were left out with dire consequences for us all, especially the poor.

“For humanitarian organisations, such as Caritas, the human person must be at the heart of everything we do. But this should equally be applied to economic systems, which are also ultimately at the service of humanity.”

The steps that needed to be taken include:

• Financial institutions considering the human impact of their activities,
  
• Poorer nations having an effective voice at international institutions such as the UN and WTO,
  
• Development aid delivered free of conditions,
  
• Recipients would play a greater role in their own development,
  
• And a stronger recognition of civil society and faith groups.

“It is of course easy enough to identify the values and principles that should form the basis of systems and institutions. What is more difficult is to ensure that these values are applied. This relies on us as individuals – our consciences, and our capacity for solidarity, for compassion, for true charity,” she said.

Lesley-Anne Knight also called for the world to unite around a common effort to preserve the environment and avert the catastrophic effects of climate change after the disappointment at Copenhagen talks.

She said, “The richer nations of the world must provide assistance for developing countries who are bearing the brunt of climate-related disasters. Economic growth and development must have regard for inter-generational justice. Rich countries have profited the most from the industrialisation that has led to climate change, and now they must pay the costs of adapting and mitigating the damage.”

For more information, please contact Patrick Nicholson - nicholson@caritas.va - 0039 3343590700