On 19th June 2026, the Economic and Social Council convened a General Debate as part of its annual Humanitarian Affairs Segment. Ambassador Beresford-Hill, Permanent Observer of the Sovereign Order of Malta, gave a speech emphasising the important work of the Order and of our relief agency, Malteser International.
Ambassador Beresford-Hill gave examples of the areas Malteser International provided support to 5.9 million people in 2025: from Mpox treatment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to mobile clinics supporting internally displaced people in Lebanon.
Additionally, he expressed concern about the recent attacks on the Christian quarter in Tyre in Lebanon, emphasising the Order’s commitment to uphold the religious freedom of all faiths and calling upon the international community to protect Holy Sites.
Furthermore, he described the negative impact of funding cuts and violence in the Holy Land on the Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem, particularly for patients and staff. He urged all actors to cease hostilities and to protect the most vulnerable, echoing the calls of Pope Leo XIV to make a ‘decisive and radical choice in favour of the weakest’.
