The United Nations and the World Council of Churches (WCC) have reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate at a meeting between the general secretaries of both organisations held on 29 October at the UN headquarters in New York.
"As the UN faces the 21st century highlighting the interrelatedness of development, security and human rights, the WCC strongly believes multilateralism is the only way to respond to the challenges of today," said WCC general secretary Samuel Kobia at the meeting.He went on to assure UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon of the WCC's commitment to the principles and purposes of the UN, while Ban expressed "deep appreciation for the work of the WCC", saying that the council was a key member of the UN constituency, given its worldwide church representation, the common objectives and the "significant contribution made by the WCC in the areas of democracy and human rights".
"It was a good and constructive first meeting as both leaders expressed their desire to continue strong and close collaboration," said Rev Christopher Ferguson, WCC representative to the United Nations in New York.
The meeting took place at the beginning of the WCC's United Nations Advocacy Week taking place 29 October - 2 November at the Church Center to the UN in New York.
Kobia thanked Ban for the participation of several UN officials who are contributing to the week-long discussions attended by some 80 church leaders, policy and advocacy officers of churches and ecumenical organisations from all over the world.
Among the issues on the organisations' common agenda, the two general secretaries discussed climate change, "one of the most critical challenges the world faces today," as Kobia expressed it during the meeting.
He shared with Ban the concern of the council's member churches in the Pacific, which are "already preparing for the evacuation of entire populations" from some small islands to the bigger ones.
Affirming the interrelatedness of the concerns about the integrity of creation, justice and peace, Kobia brought to the attention of the UN secretary general some of the issues on the churches' advocacy agenda, namely the situation in the greater Horn of Africa, nuclear disarmament, the struggle for peace in the Middle East, as well as the work to overcome poverty and economic injustice, closely related to the UN Millennium Development Goals.
In view of the conviction that "religion has a big, positive role to play in the search for global peace and harmony", the WCC general secretary announced the council's intention to propose that the UN declare a "Decade of Inter-religious Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace".
The proposal would be submitted to the UN together with an international consultative group in the course of the coming year.
The WCC general secretary was accompanied by ambassador Dr Park Kyung Seo, director of the North East Asia Peace Institute; Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory, recently appointed WCC director of Public Witness; and WCC staff members Dr Guillermo Kerber, Dr Mathews George Chunakara, and Rev Christopher Ferguson.
