When announcing the joint seminar organised by the Swedish Embassy on Managing Climate Change: Global, EU And Maltese Perspectives, to be held on Wednesday at the Hotel Phoenicia, it was stated, among other things, that "climate change poses a challenge that requires cooperation and joint action in Europe and the world as a whole..." and that "...climate change has a major impact on societies, individuals and coming generations".
During the seminar, Resources and Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino and David Spiteri Gingell, chairman of the Maltese Climate Change Committee - MCCC, will talk on Climate Change - The Strategy For Malta. This strategy followed extensive consultation and a study on the subject over the past months. MCCC reacted positively to a recommendation by the Malta Unborn Child Movement - MUCM to include also climate change in the womb in its deliberations.
In 1988, Malta proclaimed its proposals on climate change to the world and a lot of work was done by the UN since then. In fact, the United Nations will hold the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen between December 7 and18.
Last May, the Nationalist Party committed itself, in paragraph 45, dealing with values, of its European Parliament election manifesto, to work for the fundamental right to life... from conception to natural death. Clearly, for loving and responsible care in the womb, man's first environment, his first world. It is to work also to see that the laws, programmes and policies of the European Union run in the same direction..
In a declaration on "current global issues", which appears on the Foreign Affairs Ministry's website, the government declared that "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" and that "Malta will continue to support international actions and policies that respect the rights of the unborn child and foster the best interests of children".
In her book Environmental Justice And The Rights Of Unborn And Future Generations, Laura Westra, professor of Philosophy at Windsor University, Canada, states that the traditional concept of social justice is increasingly being challenged by the notion of a humankind that spans current and future generations. She makes a systematic examination of how the rights of the unborn and future generations are handled in common law and under international legal instruments.
In compliance with these declarations, it is felt that the time is ripe for the Maltese government to again take the initiative, at the opportune moment - the Phoenicia Hotel seminar, the Copenhagen Conference and meetings of international bodies and initiatives dedicated to the welfare of children could certainly be considered as good opportunities - to proclaim the moral, legal and political responsibilities and obligations of all member states of the EU, and the world community, to give substantial meaning to the fundamental right to the dignity, proper care, protection and wholesome development of human life, from conception, in word, on paper and in deed, everywhere. Climate change is affecting the unborn and future generations in many ways. It is also doing as much harm to unborn children as it is doing to those who are born.
In 1967, Malta proclaimed to the world community that the seabed should be the common heritage of mankind. And the world listened. Twenty years later, in 1988, Malta again made proposals to the world on climate change and, again, the world listened. Twenty years later, the Malta government seems to be in a position to widen its proposal on climate change to include also climate change in the womb as "the common concern of mankind". That is how climate change affects the wholesome and sustainable development of about 200 million unborn children every year worldwide. It affects also future generations. The concept known as the common concern of mankind arose out of the UN deliberations on Malta's proposal on climate change.
A dimension of man's relationship to his environment is implied in the concept "the common concern of mankind". While covering directly climate change in general, it focuses also on issues that are generally basic to mankind, like climate change also in the womb. This through the inadvertent exposure to toxic substances and emissions of would-be mothers and fathers, especially at places of work and the world in general and also through the inconsiderate consumption of drugs, alcohol and tobacco by parents before and/or during the pregnancy.
David Attard, the Maltese international lawyer, in his memorial speech at the Ġorġ Borg Olivier Foundation in December 2008, signalled "Prime Minister (Lawrence) Gonzi's call from Malta for a more coordinated approach to combating climate change". He also referred to Dr Gonzi's address to a high level event in environmental sustainability, organised by the United Nations Secretary General on September 25, 2008, which ended with Dr Gonzi's call for "a more cohesive and concerted manner of addressing climate change by international institutions and organisations" because, as Dr Gonzi very rightly declared, "We owe it to present and future generations".
Mr Mifsud is coordinator of the Malta Unborn Child Movement.