The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary–Loreto Generalate, together with the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, The Grail, the Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries, and VIVAT International, submitted a joint statement at the 64th Session of the UN Commission for Social Development. The statement calls for a coherent, coordinated policy — one that is equitable, inclusive, and focused on the most marginalized — to help eradicate global poverty.
Concerns from the Ground
Drawing on reports from local networks in Asia and Africa, the statement highlights ongoing human rights violations, corruption, and unequal global financial structures. These forces continue to limit access to quality education, health care, food security, and labour protections — deepening poverty and social exclusion. Marginalized groups, the statement notes, face systemic discrimination and unfair cultural norms that further restrict their ability to improve their socioeconomic status and well-being.
A New Worry: Artificial Intelligence
In Africa, there’s a growing concern about AI. As the technology spreads, it could actually make inequality worse — replacing jobs, especially lower-skilled ones, and pushing unemployment higher.
There’s also a language problem. Most AI tools are built around major world languages like English, French, or Mandarin — which means African and Indigenous languages get left behind. That’s a real barrier, and the numbers show why: a staggering 0.02% of all internet content exists in these languages. Without more content and data, it’s nearly impossible to build AI that actually works for these communities.
Key Recommendations:
The statement asks governments and world leaders to focus on four things:
- Fix the global money system so it works fairly for everyone, not just wealthy nations
- Build policies that include everyone, especially people who have been left out
- Regulate AI development so it helps people instead of harming them
- End corruption and make governments more transparent
Read the full CSocD64 Joint Statement ICI.
