Pope urges UN reform after Ukraine war, Covid 'limits'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Oct 2022 16:20

Pope Francis stressed that the war in Ukraine highlighted the need to ensure the current multilateral structure -- especially the UN Security Council.

Pope Francis

In an extract of his new book published Sunday, Pope Francis stated that reforming the UN was "more than obvious” most notably after the Covid-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine exposed the UN's limitations.

The Argentine pontiff added war in Ukraine highlighted the need to ensure the current multilateral structure -- especially the UN Security Council -- finds "more agile and effective ways of resolving conflicts".

"In wartime, it is essential to affirm that we need more multilateralism and a better multilateralism," but the UN is no longer fit for "new realities", he added in an extract published by La Stampa daily.

The organization was founded to prevent the horrors of two World Wars from reoccurring, but while the threat represented by those conflicts remained, "today's world is no longer the same," according to Francis.

"The necessity of these reforms became more than obvious after the pandemic" when the current multilateral system "showed all its limits", he added.

The pope also touched on guaranteeing health, food, and social ad economic rights on which international institutions would base their decisions.

The Pope's new book, “I ask you in the name of God: Ten prayers for a future of hope,” is due to be released in Italy Tuesday.