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PARIS, October 14, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – On Friday, October 8, the Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, (UNESCO) gave a speech in Paris at the UNESCO Executive Council meeting where he emphasized the need to respect the fundamental dignity of the human person.

Msgr. Francesco Follo criticized the lack of philosophical rigor in the organization’s attempts to find a system of ethics that could be called truly universal. Philosophy “as a discussion on realty and meaning” is, he said, a means of “debating the validity and universality of (ethical) norms.”  The problem of finding a universally acceptable set of ethical standards is critical in judging the proper response to the new biotechnologies such as in vitro fertilization. This problem became acute during debates on Canada’s reproductive technologies bill where it was clear that legislators were thwarted by an impasse on conflicting ethical standards.

Msgr. Follo warned in his speech of the tendency to avoid rigorous philosophical analysis that he said has become a ‘weak point’ for the UN. He said, “If UNESCO wishes to be able to promote the universality and efficacy of ethical norms as stipulated in the document on the ethics of the economy, it must dare to engage in a more basic reflection on the universal need to respect the human being.”  ph