ECOSOC President Holds First Ever Meeting with Pope

ECOSOC President Holds First Ever Meeting with Pope to Advance Humanitarian Agenda

New York, Apr 18 2013 - The president of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Néstor Osorio, met today with newly elected Pope Francis to discuss the global fight against poverty, the first time the head of the organization has ever met with a leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.

The two focussed on achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), adopted by the UN Millennium Summit of 2000, that seek to slash a host of social ills, including extreme poverty and hunger, diseases and lack of access to health care and universal primary education, all by 2015.

Mr. Osorio noted that ECOSOC, a founding UN Charter body which focuses on the economic, social and environmental challenges facing the world, works with many UN agencies that collaborate with faith based organizations to tackle humanitarian and developments needs around the globe.

He voiced the hope that the Vatican can see in the Council a useful platform to pursue its efforts towards a fair international order, noting that many of the UN’s humanitarian targets echo calls made by the Holy See to build a more humane world for all.

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

ENDS

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