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In an interview that came out on Monday, the Vatican's foreign minister said that Pope Francis is 'very committed to multilateralism' and 'believes in the multilateral system.'
Archbishop Paul Gallagher said in an interview with the Jesuit magazine America that the pope is a firm believer in multilateralism, even though "he believes in a reformed and renewed multilateral system that is better able to meet the challenges of the 21st century."
“We’ve got to try and make our multinational, multilateral institutions work better,” Archbishop Gallagher stated. “We have to try and get the United Nations to be incisive in confronting and resolving some problems in the world.”
“And if necessary, maybe these institutions have to be reformed,” he added. “For example, here in Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation is more or less paralyzed. We have to work at this, I think, in some way, making them more efficient and proactive.”
During his time as pope, Pope Francis has been a strong supporter of multilateralism as a way to stop what he sees as a dangerous rise in nationalism and populism.
“Trust in dialogue between people and between nations, in multilateralism, in the role of international organizations, in diplomacy as an instrument for comprehension and understanding, is indispensable for building a peaceful world,” the pontiff said in a 2019 video message.
Interview: Archbishop Gallagher on Vatican diplomacy, Ukraine and the threat of World War III https://t.co/HUgEB2iE46
— America Magazine (@americamag) July 18, 2022
The next year, the pope spoke to the U.N. General Assembly and said that the world is at a crossroads between multilateralism and a scary return of nationalism.
Francis said that the world needs to take steps to improve "multilateralism" and "global co-responsibility" to build on the values of justice, peace, and the unity of the human family.
“The other option gives priority to self-sufficiency, nationalism, protectionism, individualism, and isolation,” the pope declared, “which leaves out the poorest, the most vulnerable, and the inhabitants of the existential peripheries.”
The pope also said that the United Nations play a key role in building this multilateral response. He said that the U.N. Security Council's job is especially important.
“Our world in conflict needs the U.N. to become an increasingly effective laboratory for peace,” he said, “which requires that the members of the Security Council, especially the permanent ones, act with greater unity and determination.”
In his speech, Francis said that the development of new forms of military technology, such as lethal autonomous weapons, has "irreversibly changed the nature of war, making it even more separate from human action." He said that this makes the loss of multilateralism a bigger risk.
During a trip to Athens, Greece, in 2021, Francis once again made a passionate plea for multilateralism.
Today, “we are witnessing a retreat from democracy,” the pope told Greek political leaders. “Democracy requires participation and involvement on the part of all; consequently, it demands hard work and patience. It is complex, whereas authoritarianism is peremptory and populism’s easy answers appear attractive.”
The international community needs everyone to work together "to open paths to peace through multilateralism that won't be shut down by too many nationalist demands," he said.
"Politics needs this so that public needs come before private ones," he said.
Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations, has praised the pope's "strong voice" on multilateralism. This is because the pope supports multilateralism.
Guterres said in 2019 that the pope's work helps the UN reach many of its goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, fighting climate change, and promoting a culture of peace.
“Contrary to what is often said, we need greater international solidarity and more multilateralism,” he said. “We need to work together to address issues of peace and security, to promote sustainable development, to advance human rights, to reduce inequalities and to avoid a climate catastrophe.”
“We need a universal system that respects international law and is organized around strong multilateral institutions. But this multilateralism needs to adapt to the challenges of today and tomorrow,” Guterres added.
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