Statement by His Excellency Paul Richard Gallagher Secretary for  Relations with States, at the virtual ceremony to mark the commemoration of the signing of the Charter of the United Nations

26 June 2020

The Holy See welcomes this commemoration of the signing of the UN Charter, which provides an important occasion to reflect on the founding document of this Organization.

As we look back to the world of 1945 and to the intervening 75 years, the enduring vision of the UN Charter and its contemporary relevance become apparent to us all.

It is a vision that affirms the principles on which international relations and multilateralism must be built: the desire for peace, the pursuit of justice, respect for the dignity of the human person, and humanitarian cooperation and assistance.[1]

It is a vision that calls on all States to support and strengthen the United Nations to become “a moral centre where all the nations of the world feel at home” and to grow in a shared awareness of being, as it were, a “family of nations”.[2]

It is a vision that invites all to advance together with multilateral solutions to global challenges, as confirmed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The international community must acknowledge that as one human family, called to live in a spirit of human fraternity in defense of and upholding human dignity and life, we will either stand together or fall divided.

It is a vision that obliges all Member States to work for the common good of the entire human family as a criterion for moral action and a goal inspiring each country to cooperate in guaranteeing the existence and peaceful security of all others. 

Recalling the “solemn moral ratification” of the United Nations, expressed by Pope Paul VI, the first Pope to visit the UN,[3] I assure everyone of the Holy See’s continued support for the Charter, its ideals and principles and for their ongoing and deepened actualization through the organization the Charter founded. 

Thank you for your kind attention.

The video message can be found here.

[1] Cf. Pope Francis, Address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See for the traditional exchange of New Year greetings, 9 January 2020.

[2] Pope John Paul II, Address to the Fiftieth Session of the United Nations General Assembly, 5 October 1995.

[3] Pope Paul VI, Address to the United Nations, 4 October 1965.