Endorsement of Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, and preparation for COP28
Noting the governing body is meeting in at a time when we are experiencing record sea surface temperatures and record high air temperatures, the acknowledges that “while some measures for the alleviation of the impacts of climate change are ongoing, the primary root causes of the climate crisis, namely fossil fuels, are barely addressed.”
The minute requests the general secretary and staff, in consultation with WCC member churches and partners, to develop a statement for COP28 addressing urgent issues.
Ecumenical Solidarity with Africa and People of African Descent
Recalling previous statements and actions by the WCC in relation to Africa and People of African Descent, the minute observes that “this year also marks the 60th anniversaries of both the African Union and the All Africa Conference of Churches, and of the March on Washington.”
The text also invites the “continued solidarity and support of all members of the worldwide ecumenical fellowship for the churches and peoples of Africa, and for all people of African descent in their ongoing search for equal human rights.”
Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)
The minute recalls previous statements and actions by the WCC, and reiterates profound concern about the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) due to the closure and blockade by Azerbaijan of the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to Armenia.
The minute calls on Azerbaijan “for the immediate lifting of the blockade and to re-open the Lachin corridor to allow for the two-way free and safe passage of civilians, transport, and goods along the corridor and to guarantee unimpeded humanitarian access to alleviate the suffering of the Armenian population of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh).”
Suspension of food aid to Ethiopia by USAID and WFP
The minute reiterates support of statements and letters from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and from the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia. In the text, the central committee appeals to “USAID and WFP, while investigating these allegations, to resume urgently this essential assistance to Ethiopian communities and people whose lives depend on it.”
SAYFO1915 (Syriac and Assyrian Genocide)
Recalling the minute adopted by the WCC 11th Assembly, the central committee requests "the general secretary to make preparations for observing the 110th anniversary of SAYFO1915 in 2025.”
Environmental consequences of war in Ukraine
The central committee continues to monitor with great concern the dangerous, destructive, and deadly consequences of Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine, including during the period of our meeting over these recent days. “We express once again the international ecumenical fellowship’s grief and dismay at the escalating toll of lives lost and communities destroyed,” notes the minute, which also request the “general secretary to exercise all possible efforts through the churches to bring this conflict and its appalling consequences to an end.”
Kosovo and Metochia
The central committee expresses its concern regarding the volatile situation in Kosovo and Metochia, and its effects on the legal and religious rights of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the region. The central committee requests the “general secretary to consult with the Serbian Orthodox Church and with ecumenical, inter-religious and other partners, to discern ways in which the WCC might contribute to reducing tensions and mitigating risks of further escalation and conflict in the region,” reads the minute.