About Us

: UN Photo/ Eskinder Debebe

World Council of Churches

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is the broadest and most inclusive among the many organized expressions of the modern ecumenical movement. The WCC brings together 349 churches, denominations and church fellowships in more than 110 countries and territories throughout the world, representing over 560 million Christians.

As a fellowship of churches, the WCC has been mandated by its member churches to take a leading role in this public witness by facilitating, networking, coordinating and challenging churches and organisations within the ecumenical movement. The challenge that came to us through the theme of the Assembly, "God in Your Grace, Transform the World," continues to be both relevant and urgent. When we look at the state of our world today, we see that the task of transformation has not ended - it remains the dominant theological and missiological paradigm for the churches and Christians in the twenty-first century.

In this framework, the WCC undertakes a prophetic role with emphasis on the theological and spiritual imperatives of speaking truth to power as part of the global churches' public witness for justice, peace and reconciliation. The WCC will continue to accompany churches and the ecumenical movement as they participate in transformative action.

United Nations Liaison Office

The WCC's United Nations Liaison Office (UNLO) works to make the voices of the churches and ecumenical organizations heard in order to influence the policy decisions made at the United Nations. The UNLO places special attention on enhancing ecumenical cooperation and coordination in advocacy, witness, accompaniment and ethical and moral input at the international level. The UNLO works to ensure that a common ecumenical perspective is developed and communicated and that the voices of the ecumenical community of the global south and most specifically the voices of victims are heard.

Indeed, throughout the WCC work with the ecumenical movement in general and through the WCC United Nations Liaison Office in particular, advocacy has become a leit-motiv of ecumenical collaborative work. Currently, the WCC's United Nations Advocacy Week (UNAW) is an evolving model of this ecumenical collaboration.

The United Nations Liaison Offices is part of the WCC's programme Public witness: Addressing power, affirming peace.

Important links