wfn.org | Carey calls for UN reform

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2000-148

Carey calls for UN reform, lifting of Iraqi sanctions in New York 
visit

by Jan Nunley

     (ENS) In a whirlwind fall visit to New York, Archbishop of 
Canterbury George Carey called for new approaches to the ongoing 
sanctions against Iraq and for a fresh look at the UN's mission 
in the light of the Sermon on the Mount.

     Addressing the Church Club of New York on September 14, 
Carey praised the "signal role" of the Episcopal Church in the 
Anglican Communion, citing its support and that of such parishes 
as Trinity, Wall Street, in New York and agencies such as 
Episcopal Relief and Development for initiatives important to the 
entire communion. But he indicated that there are "changed 
priorities ahead" for the Anglican Communion in the 21st century 
in the areas of communion, poverty, and mission.

     "Many of our Christian brothers and sisters--including many 
Anglicans--find themselves living and working in situations of 
bitter civil conflicts, violence, war, and persecution," said 
Carey, citing conflicts in the Sudan, Rwanda, South Asia, 
Nigeria, Uganda and the Middle East. "One of my major concerns 
has been: How do we show that we are standing alongside members 
of our Communion when we are not actually with them, experiencing 
their pain? Where does the personal and local meet with the 
international?" He asked wealthier churches in the United States 
to "consider putting a small proportion of their stewardship" 
into the Anglican Investment Agency to help address the needs of 
Christians in troubled areas.

Human need transcends politics

     Another changed priority, declared Carey, should include a 
shift in attitudes towards sanctions against Iraq. "I need no 
persuading that Saddam Hussein and the regime he runs is deeply 
and morally repugnant," he stated. "But the problem is that those 
who suffer most are the ordinary people of Iraq…From a Christian 
perspective, humanitarian considerations should become the 
principle informing any sanctions policy. This suggests at the 
very least that they need to be reconfigured to impact on those 
they are intended to target."

     Carey also called for concrete action by Christians and 
other faith communities to address the second challenge, that of 
poverty generated by international debt.

     Anglicans have a theology of mission that is incarnational, 
sacramental, and holistic, Carey explained. "I am proud to be an 
Anglican because it remains catholic and reformed--open to new 
ideas but thoroughly earthed in the life changing events of the 
gospel."

     Yet that should not be taken for granted, he added. "We need 
to work as a Communion towards closer understanding on some 
important theological issues," said Carey. "We all have views. 
But in advancing our individual perspectives, we must also 
protect the fundamental integrity of our Communion. Where 
disagreement persists, we must treat each other with dignity and 
respect. And none of this must be allowed to divert our primary 
focus."

Mission statement of peace and justice

     At the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on September 15, 
speaking to a congregation that included many UN staff members, 
Carey compared the message of the Sermon on the Mount to the UN's 
mission statement in calling for reform of the UN Security 
Council. "Reform," he said, " would be both symbol and expression 
of a different way of visualising the world and of working to 
meet its challenges--the challenges of peace and justice for 
all."

     "Compromise is often regarded as a dirty word," he 
explained. "[But] the question is not whether there has to be 
compromise, but the basis for that compromise. Does it represent 
the best available way of tackling the real issue, or is it a 
deal cut for the convenience of those at the table?"

     Carey also expressed concern over the United States' unpaid 
dues to the UN. "There may be things the United States does not 
like about the UN--it wouldn't be unique in that regard--but 
withholding payment may not be the best way of making the point," 
he observed. "Indeed it can be counterproductive for everyone 
involved--including those most in need round the world."

     Earlier in the week, Carey joined UN Assistant Secretary 
General Angela King at St Peter's Lutheran Church in Manhattan 
for a noon forum on the topic, "The Fate of Women and Children 
Globally." King, herself an Anglican, is the UN's special advisor 
on gender issues and the advancement of women, and chairs the 
Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender and Equality.

     The conversation was originally to include US Secretary of 
State Madeleine Albright, but just hours before the forum, her 
office informed the organizers that she would be unable to 
attend. The discussion was intended to raise awareness of the 
suffering caused by poverty, human rights violations targeting 
women and children, and armed conflicts, and to explore how the 
church and civil government might cooperate to help prevent such 
tragedies. 

--The Rev. Jan Nunley is deputy director of the Episcopal 
Church's Office of News and Information.