?Pope Francis’ visit to the UN – Shared values for our common future – Ban Ki-moon

The visit of His Holiness
Pope Francis to the United Nations comes at a moment of challenge and hope. As
the world struggles to cope with conflict, poverty and climate change, Pope
Francis has been a leading voice for urgent action to protect people and our
planet.

I am deeply privileged to
have had the opportunity to meet several times with His Holiness, who impressed
me as a man of great humility and humanity. When we met last year at the
Vatican in May, the Pope urged senior United Nations officials to “work
together in promoting a true, worldwide ethical mobilization which, beyond all
differences of religious or political convictions, will spread and put into
practice a shared ideal of fraternity and solidarity, especially with regard to
the poorest and those most excluded.”

International cooperation on
behalf of the world’s most vulnerable people is fundamental to the mission of
the United Nations as enshrined in our Charter, which entered into force 70
years ago next month.

As the United Nations works
with partners to address the many emergencies in our world, we are also looking
to build long-term stability. That is why we are so honoured that His Holiness
will visit on the day that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will be
adopted.

Pope Francis has called on
people everywhere to work towards realizing the new sustainable development
goals “with generosity and courage”. As I discussed with the Pope, this will
require challenging all forms of injustice.

Following the adoption of
the sustainable development goals, attention will shift to the upcoming climate
change conference in December in Paris, where every government in the world
will gather seeking to adopt a new, universal and meaningful climate agreement.

I fully concur with Pope Francis in his recent encyclical that climate change
is a moral issue, in addition to its other dimensions, and one of the principal
challenges facing humanity.
His Holiness rightly cited the solid scientific consensus
showing significant warming of the climate system, with most global warming in
recent decades mainly a result of human activity.

Pope Francis and I
wholeheartedly agree on the urgency for action, and the critical need to
support the poorest and most vulnerable members of our human family from a
crisis they did least to cause, but suffer from the most. Other faith groups
have echoed this view, including most recently a gathering of eminent Islamic
scholars and religious leaders.

Pope Francis’ message
extends far beyond the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. On the first page
of his recent encyclical, the Pope states that “faced as we are with global
environmental deterioration, I wish to address every person living on this
planet”.

The Catholic Church and the
United Nations have a number of shared values and goals, not least ending
poverty, promoting social inclusion, and protecting the environment.

As we reflect on the
Organization’s many achievements, we are all too aware of the persisting grave
threats in our world.

The conflict in Syria and
the wider impact of violent extremists in the region constitute a colossal
humanitarian tragedy that demands international action. As the plight of
refugees and others searching for a better life has come to the fore,
especially with more arrivals in Europe, the Pope has been a leading advocate
of a humane response. I am deeply grateful for his repeated calls for
compassion.

This month, I am convening a
special meeting on the refugee crisis to promote a systematic approach
encompassing not only countries of destination but also countries of transit
and, most important, countries of origin. We must tackle the root causes that
drive so many to flee, including vicious conflict, governance failures, harsh
repression and grave violations of human rights, including religious
persecution. It is also essential to confront the ruthlessness of people
smugglers and traffickers and stop their dangerous crimes.

Pope Francis has
demonstrated the value of religious leaders engaging on these pressing global
issues. I count on him and other faith leaders to counteract the prevailing
forces of division and hate with dialogue and understanding. Together, we can
realize our vision of a peaceful world where all people live in safety and
dignity.