WCC NEWS: WCC calls for renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay commented on the changing world order, the Board of Peace launched in Davos, and the challenge to multilateralism. The United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, housed at the historic Palais des Nations. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC 23 January 2026 “While we appreciate the initiatives taken to address prevailing conflicts and wars in the world, we need to be mindful of the concerns this new body raises,” said Pillay. “It is difficult to reconcile the Board of Peace’s Charter with the UN Charter’s emphasis on sovereign equality and collective decision‑making.” Pillay acknowledged that it is true that the UN has been and remains at best an imperfect instrument for the purposes envisioned by the WCC and by all those who have invested so much hope in it.  “The UN as it currently stands is certainly not adequately fulfilling  the purposes for which it was founded, less still for the challenges of today,” he said. "The WCC remains committed to the principles and purposes for which the United Nations is founded.” Pillay urged that multilateral cooperation is an absolute necessity in face of the converging global crises confronting our world. “We call for renewed international commitment to the vision expressed in the United Nations Charter, and for reforms that strengthen the UN and correct its faults, rather than weaken it,” he said. “The WCC welcomes and supports peace initiatives that uphold Christian values.” Read the WCC reaction - The changing world order: The Board of Peace, and the challenge to multilateralism See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland