In a context of economic globalization, the rapid development of information technologies, threats to peace, security and multi-lateralism, the WCC through its Commission of the Churches in International Affairs (CCIA) attempts to ensure that the voices of the churches and ecumenical organizations are taken into consideration by governments and intergovernmental organizations - the United Nations, international financial institutions, the International Criminal Court and others.  

It does this by bringing churches and the ecumenical movement together to speak out from an ethical and theological perspective on social, economic and political issues.  It offers a platform to convey the different experiences of the churches to the UN in Geneva (including UNCTAD, UNHCHR, UNHCR, WHO) and in New York (in relationship to the UN General Assembly, secretary general, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and debt relief efforts).  

Some cases require the WCC to pay attention to intergovernmental bodies such as the World Bank, the IMF and the International Criminal Court. The WCC also does coordination and networking at the UN and at the World Social Forum. 

Over the coming three years, this project will put special emphasis on nuclear disarmament, economic justice, Indigenous Peoples' claims, the International Criminal Court, and issues raised in whatever geographical region is the annual focus of the 2001-2010 Decade to Overcome Violence.  

Methods include statements, public letters, and declarations that express the position of the WCC and the churches; seminars and meetings to analyze concerns from ethical and theological perspectives; and an annual Advocacy Week in New York.