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Commission on International Affairs

Report

World Council of Churches’ submission for UN New Agenda for Peace

The World Council of Churches (WCC) input for the articulation of the UN’s “New Agenda for Peace," a process intended to update the world body’s approach to peace and security in the current global context.

13 April 2023

WCC offers input to the UN New Agenda for Peace

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has offered input for the articulation of the UN’s “New Agenda for Peace," a process intended to update the world body’s approach to peace and security in the current global context. In its submission – which is inspired to a significant extent by the WCC 11th Assembly statement on “The Things That Make For Peace”– the WCC focused especially on the need for greater financial and practical support for peacebuilding at national and local levels, rather than for division and military confrontation.

13 April 2023

Letter

WCC condolence letter in wake of shooting in Louisville, USA

In a letter to the Presbyterian Church (USA), World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay extended condolences in the wake of a shooting at the Old National Bank in Louisville, Kentucky—just blocks away from the church offices.

12 April 2023

General Secretary

a collection of candles placed by the altar

WCC extends condolences in wake of shooting in Louisville

12 April 2023

How to stop killer robots: Technology is outpacing diplomacy at UN talks

The year 2023 marks a decade of diplomatic debate about autonomous weapons – so-called ‘killer robots’. This decade has also seen accelerating development of such weapons systems in a number of countries. But efforts in the context of the Convention on Certain Conventional

05 April 2023

Ibrahim Osman Mohammed (left) and his cousin Hassan Keyr Isaac cross a remote section of eastern Kenya near the Somali border. They left their home in Buale, in the Middle Juba region of Somalia, three weeks before because a severe drought had killed most of their animals. Their wives and children traveled ahead of them to the Dadaab refugee camp in vehicles, while they followed with the cart carrying their meager belongings. Already the world's world's largest refugee settlement, Dadaab has swelled in rece

Eastern Africa still needs relief, clerics and agencies say, even as rains bring hope amidst severe drought

Amidst rains in drought-stricken regions in eastern Africa, church leaders and relief agencies are warning the situation is still precarious and the people will need food aid during the next months.

30 March 2023

Los asociados ecuménicos instan a los gobiernos a que tomen medidas para prevenir la fístula obstétrica

Durante el debate sobre los derechos humanos y la fístula obstétrica en el 52º período de sesiones del Consejo de Derechos Humanos de la ONU, el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) y sus asociados ecuménicos exhortaron a los gobiernos a que presten más atención a la prevención de la fístula obstétrica en sus políticas, planes estratégicos y presupuestos.

23 March 2023

Churches in the Philippines call for protection of human rights and its defenders

During the General Debate of the 52nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, National Council of Churches in the Philippines expressed its deep concern over continuing human rights violations in the Philippines.

23 March 2023

"Faith Community is a Blue Community” unfolds alongside UN Water Conference

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Water Network and its partner organizations hosted a hybrid side event, “Faith Community is a ‘Blue Community,” on 22 March in conjunction with the UN Water Conference in New York City.Prof. Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, UN Special Rapporteur, human right to water, opened the event with a video message on how this is the first time in almost 50 years that the United Nations has convened a global event to reflect on the global water crisis—a crisis that finds 2 billion people without access to clean water, and 4 billion without access to adequate sanitation.

23 March 2023

Women peace-makers call for a holistic and sustainable peace

Meaningful participation by women in a conflict resolution and peace-building promotes a more sustainable peace, a panel discussion with women peace-makers concluded, after the screening of a documentary on the 2015 “Women Cross the DMZ” initiative.

23 March 2023

Message

WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay on the 6th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay commented on the synthesis of the 6th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, released 20 March.

22 March 2023

General Secretary

Bible studies

Seven Weeks for Water 2023, week 5: "Water: a gift of God, a public good and a human right. Should we privatize it?", by Rev. Dr. Donald Bruce Yeates

Originally published in 2020, the fifth reflection of the seven weeks for water 2023 of the WCC’s Ecumenical Water Network is by Rev. Dr. Donald Bruce Yeates, a minister of Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church of Suva, Fiji and a consultant chaplain at The University of the South Pacific. Bruce has been active in the Pacific since 1975 as an academic in social work, community development and social policy having served at the University of Papua New Guinea and The University of the South Pacific. In the following reflection he underlines the importance of human right to water and the onslaught of privatisation in the backdrop of world’s most famous bottled water which comes from his home country, the “Fiji waters”.

20 March 2023

Ecumenical partners urge governments to act in prevention of obstetric fistula

During the debate on human rights and obstetric fistula at the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, the World Council of Churches (WCC) with its ecumenical partners called upon governments to pay more attention to the prevention of obstetric fistula in their policies, strategic plans, and budgets.

20 March 2023

Statement: public statement

Joint statement of ecumenical partners on prevention of obstetric fistula at the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council

A joint statement of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, Geneva for Human Rights, Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, and Vivat International delivered during the debate on human rights and obstetric fistula at the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council on 17 March 2023. The statement was delivered by Eva Abel from Kenya, masters student at the WCC Ecumenical Institute in Bossey.

20 March 2023

Commission on International Affairs

WCC praises 50 years of agreement between Lutheran, Reformed, and United churches in Europe

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has hailed the 50th anniversary of a landmark agreement between Lutheran, Reformed, and United churches in Europe in which they recognized each other’s baptism and ordination, and stated they were able to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.

16 March 2023

Report on the impact of sanctions on humanitarian work

Presentado en el Consejo de Derechos Humanos de la ONU un informe sobre el impacto de las sanciones

Las sanciones no deben ir en detrimento del apoyo a los más vulnerables, afirma un informe sobre el impacto de las sanciones en la labor humanitaria presentado en un evento paralelo de la 52ª sesión del Consejo de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas celebrado en Ginebra el 10 de marzo.

15 March 2023

In East Jerusalem, “people need to understand what happens when settlements are built”

For the 380,000 Palestinians that live in East Jerusalem, daily life is often marred by inequalities related to everything from housing, health services, childcare, and even garbage pickup. Even though Palestinians make up 39% of the city, there are many discrepancies in the services they receive.

14 March 2023