Unborn children - a 'common concern'

The first question put to Fr Peter Serracino Inglott (The Sunday Times, April 25) was: "Some people know you are an admirer of the American Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz at least for his advocacy of the concept of 'global common goods' as a more generally acceptable modification of the Maltese concept of the 'common heritage of humankind'."

The concept "the common concern of mankind", which arose from the UN deliberations on Malta's 1988 proposal on climate change, is another modification of the Maltese concept of the "common heritage of mankind".

A dimension of man's relationship to his environment is implied in the concept "the common concern of mankind". While directly covering climate change in general, it also focuses on issues that are generally basic to mankind.

In her book Environmental Justice and the Rights of Unborn and Future Generations, Laura Westra, professor of philosophy at the University of Windsor, states: "The traditional concept of social justice is increasingly being challenged by the notion of a humankind that spans current and future generations".

In July 2009, the Malta Unborn Child Movement (MUCM) made up of 45 Maltese organisations, proposed to the Swedish Presidency of the EU, through the Swedish ambassador to Malta, that within the context of the priorities assigned to the environment and climate change, one should also include climate change in the womb as "the common concern of mankind". That is, how climate change also affects the wholesome and sustainable development of about 200 million unborn children every year in the European Union and worldwide.

This through the inadvertent exposure to toxic substances and emissions of would-be mothers and fathers, especially at places of work.

Also, through the inconsiderate consumption of drugs, alcohol and tobacco by the parents before and/or during pregnancy and through the lack of love for and rejection of unborn children by their parents, which also conditions the development of unborn children, manifested by parents in a variety of ways during pregnancy.

Climate change is doing as much harm to unborn children in the womb as it is doing to those who are born. The womb is man's first home, his first environment, his first world.

MUCM met the Swedish ambassador last October and explained to her in greater detail its proposal. The ambassador informed MUCM that its proposal had been sent to the proper Swedish authorities. MUCM and the Swedish ambassador are still working on this proposal.

The same proposal was made to the Malta Climate Change Consultative Committee. It seems to fit also into the declaration on "current global issues", which appears on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a section devoted solely to children:

"Malta will continue to actively support the protection of the basic human rights of children in the world, particularly as laid out in the international convention on the rights of the child... Malta will continue to support international actions and policies that respect the rights of the unborn child and foster the best interests of children".

A hard copy of MUCM's proposal "Climate change in the womb - the common concern of mankind" was sent to Fr Serracino Inglott some months ago.