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Today, despite the appeals of Christian leaders around the world and many members of the international community, including a number of prominent Muslim leaders, the decision to reconvert the Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque was implemented, with Muslim Friday prayers being heard in the ancient building for the first time since the 1930s.

The Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches, meeting by video conference on 20-24 July 2020, takes special note of a number of situations of concern that have been brought to its attention in Nigeria. Nigeria is one of the WCC’s priority countries in the context of the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace, and Africa’s most populous nation, with many diverse communities of faith, and a vibrant church and ecumenical life.

Dr Agnes Abuom - "Trends and Developments during the past six months of 2020
and their Impact on Church Life and Communities"

Geneva, 11 July, 2020: In a letter to H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Turkey, WCC interim general secretary Rev. Prof Dr Ioan Sauca is expressing his fervent hope and prayer that Hagia Sophia will not become once again a focus of confrontation and conflict, but will be restored to the emblematic unifying role that it has served since 1934. Read the full letter:

Ecumenical Statement on the Planned Annexation of Occupied
Palestinian Territory

On behalf of the World Council of Churches (WCC), WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca sent warm greetings to all Muslims around the world celebrating Eid al-Fitr.

A joint letter to US president Donald Trump, the World Council of Churches, ACT Alliance, and National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA urging the US to lift crippling sanctions against Iran that are greatly impeding response in that nation to COVID-19.

WCC expresses concern over mob violence in India

Letter to the H.E. Muhammadu Buhari President of The Federal Republic of Nigeria from WCC and LWF general secretaries

"The One Human Family ", report of the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit to the WCC Executive Committee meeting Bossey, Switzerland, 20-26 November 2019

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit expressed warm greetings to members of the Jewish community on the festival of Rosh Hashanah 2019

Delivered by WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit at “Peace With No Borders: Religions and Cultures in Dialogue”, Madrid 2019.

Speech by Peter Prove, director of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs at the IJCIC-WCC meeting "The normalization of hatred: Challenges for Jews and Christians today", 25-27 June 2019, Paris

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit
General Secretary
World Council of Churches

WCC General Secretary’s introductory comments at Building Bridges
11 June 2019

I am glad to have this opportunity to greet the many Muslim friends and colleagues of the World Council of Churches, and indeed all Muslims, as you celebrate the festival of Eid al-Fitr.
And as we greet you warmly at this festive time and give thanks for all the good things that God gives us in our relationships with you, we are also aware of the many difficult challenges in the world that we are surely called to face together on the basis of our shared commitment to justice and peace for all people.

I am glad to have this opportunity to greet the many Muslim friends and colleagues of the World Council of Churches, and indeed all Muslims, as you celebrate the festival of Eid al-Fitr.
And as we greet you warmly at this festive time and give thanks for all the good things that God gives us in our relationships with you, we are also aware of the many difficult challenges in the world that we are surely called to face together on the basis of our shared commitment to justice and peace for all people.

Throughout history, religious communities living in contexts in which other religions predominate have been among the most vulnerable groups in society. In many parts of the world today, Christians in such contexts are among the most persecuted communities. With the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace (PJP) focus on Asia this year, we observe the challenges faced by Christian communities in several countries and territories in this region.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit spoke on the future of work at an event held on 25 February 2019 in Geneva commemorating the centenary of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Reflection on Deut. 16:18-20, by Dr Ani Ghazaryan Drissi - prayer service on the occasion of the Week of Action to Fight Inequality, held at the Ecumenical Center, Geneva, Switzerland, on 21 January 2019

By World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, on 17 December.