This morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace the Holy Father Francis received in audience the Secretary General of the United Nations, His Excellency António Guterres, who subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by His Excellency Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States.

The meeting, according to the tradition of audiences granted by the Pontiffs to the various Secretaries General of the United Nations over time, took place in proximity to the anniversary of the founding of the aforementioned Organization, on this occasion the 75th.

During the cordial discussions, the Holy See expressed its consideration for the United Nations’ commitment to peace in the world. The parties then focused on the process of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, and on the crisis of multilateralism, made particularly evident by the difficulties of managing certain current problems such as migration and human trafficking, climate change and disarmament.

Attention then turned also to several situations of conflict, social instability and grave humanitarian emergencies.