Pope Francis meets UN Secretary General

Vatican City, 09 April 2013: Pope Francis received in audience Tuesday morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon. The Secretary General later met with the Secretary of Vatican State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, accompanied by Archbishop Antoine Camilleri, Under-Secretary for Holy See’s Relations with States.

The meeting, which is part in the tradition of the audiences granted by the Popes to the various Secretaries-General of the United Nations, wish to express the appreciation that the Holy See has for the central role of the UN in the preservation of peace in the world, in promote the common good of humanity and the defense of fundamental human rights.

In the cordial conversations we focused on issues of mutual interest, in particular on situations of conflict and serious humanitarian emergency, especially in Syria, and others, such as the Korean Peninsula and the African continent, where peace and stability are threatened. Reference was also made to the problem of trafficking in persons, especially women, and that of refugees and migrants.

The UN Secretary General, who recently began his second term in his role, presented its program for the five years, focused, among other things, on conflict prevention, international solidarity and equitable and sustainable economic development.

Pope Francis also recalled the contribution of the Catholic Church, starting from her identity and the means that are proper to her, in favor of integral human dignity and the promotion of a culture of encounter that contributes to the highest institutional purposes of organization.
Source: VR Sedoc