Pope Leo XIV warned against an increasingly fragmented world order and a crisis in multilateralism during a visit on Monday to the headquarters of the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) in Rome.
Leo called for renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation at a time of crisis. No single country could surmount the global challenges on its own, he said.
While countries were increasingly devoting their resources to national security, economic growth and internal stability, the close link between these issues and multilateral cooperation was being neglected, Leo said.
He added that human dignity was no longer consistently at the focus of international action.
Leo said that humanitarian concerns, such as combating hunger were falling down the list of international priorities.
He described hunger as one of the most urgent problems. "More than merely a
humanitarian concern, hunger erodes social cohesion, heightens the risk of conflict and fuels forced migration," he said.
"Moreover, it undermines the capacity of States and societies to build resilient institutions, provide effective education and foster sustainable economic development," Leo said.
The pope praised the work of the UN body in fighting hunger globally.
"In this spirit, I wish to appeal to the governments and peoples of the world to renew and strengthen their commitment, to increase the resources dedicated to combating hunger and its root causes, and to remove the obstacles that prevent aid from reaching those in need," he said.
