CCA endorses joint interfaith statement welcoming the coming into force of UN Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

No preference updated.

21 January 2021

 

A world map indicating the 122 countries in support of the TPNW. Source: Wikipedia Commons

The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) has endorsed an interfaith statement on ‘The Entry into Force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)', and joined with many other renowned faith-based organisations from around the world in signing the interfaith statement.

The United Nations (UN) Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), a legally binding instrument, is a decisive step towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons. It includes a set of prohibitions and undertakings that prevent the development, testing, acquisition, possession, stockpiling, use, or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

The TPNW was adopted with the support of 122 states in 2017 and is set to come into force on 22 January 2021. To mark the historic and ground-breaking moment, several interfaith organisations released a joint statement that reaffirmed the moral, ethical, and theological imperatives and importance of the global disarmament movement.

The joint interfaith statement espouses, “As people of faith, we believe that the possession, development, and threat to use nuclear weapons is immoral…these technologies are part of structures and systems that bring about great suffering and destruction. We commit, therefore, to the ethical and strategic necessity of working together for economic and social justice, right relationship with the Earth, and accountability and restoration where there is violence and harm.”

The TPNW recognises the damage wrought on people and the environment by the use or testing of nuclear weapons; it requires nations to implement the required remedial measures to rectify all harm.

The statement concludes with the declaration: “At this historic moment, we must act decisively to strengthen the power of the TPNW upon its entry into force, and to work for peace, cooperation, and common security.”

Dr Mathews George Chunakara, the General Secretary of the CCA, stated, “The CCA has expressed deep concern about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons. The rush to develop and procure such weapons anywhere in the world is incompatible with the desired goal of achieving genuine standards of a humanitarian polity. As the world grapples with the task of addressing even the most basic of human needs, the tendency to divert precious resources towards the acquisition and maintenance of nuclear weapons has grave ramifications.”

The CCA General Secretary lauded the Treaty for representing the commitment of the nations and the willingness of many heads of states to make a significant shift from the ever-escalating arms race to a period of peace, justice, and wellbeing.

“The mandate on States to uphold the Treaty is in keeping with the life-affirming proclamation that envisions security in our world and future. It endorses the right to protect the world for future generations and validates the principle of stewardship,” observed Dr Mathews George Chunakara.

For the  full text of the Joint Interfaith Statement on the Entry into Force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), please click here.