On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Sovereign Order of Malta’s status as Permanent Observer to the United Nations, the Grand Master Fra‘ John Dunlap, accompanied by the Grand Chancellor Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo and the Grand Hospitaller Fra’ Alessandro de Franciscis, paid an official visit to the United Nations in Geneva.

The Grand Master was welcomed by the Director General of the United Nations Geneva office and addressed the Human Rights Council; this was the first time for a Grand Master in the history of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. In his speech he highlighted the continuous violations of international humanitarian law occurring in the main war scenarios, to which the Order responds by intensifying its commitment in favour of the victims of conflicts and those who suffer. He also reaffirmed the participation and support of the Sovereign Order of Malta in the work of the Human Rights Council.

During the official event to celebrate the 30th anniversary, the Grand Chancellor spoke together with the Director General, recalling that “Over these 30 years, the Order has worked to bring hope to those affected by poverty, displacement, social exclusion, conflict, natural disasters and disease. Thanks to the collaboration with the bodies and agencies of the United Nations and other international partners, we have been able to extend this mission, particularly to those who are most vulnerable.” Finally, the Grand Chancellor emphasized that the protection of human rights is at the heart of the Order’s activities. The Director thanked the Order for its activities in the humanitarian and multilateral fields and described it as “the true essence of solidarity”.

In the afternoon, the Grand Chancellor met the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Martin Chungong, to discuss possible synergies in the field of interreligious and intercultural dialogue. Together with the Grand Hospitaller, he met Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), reaffirming the importance of respect for international humanitarian law and the possibilities for mutual cooperation in this field.

On the sidelines of the visit, the Grand Master inaugurated the photographic exhibition entitled ‘The Order of Malta today’ at the Palais des Nations, which uses evocative images to illustrate the Order of Malta’s commitment to assist the sick, the poor and the victims of conflicts and natural disasters. The photographs testify to the crucial role of humanitarian diplomacy, underlining the importance of the Order’s action in global crisis scenarios.