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Speech of the Lieutenant of the Grand Master Fra’ John T. Dunlap to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Sovereign Order of Malta

12/01/2023

January 11th, Rome. The Lieutenant of the Grand Master Fra’ John Dunlap held an Audience to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Sovereign Order of Malta in the Magistral Villa in Rome. The audience was streamed live.

Throughout his speech, H.E. Fra’ John Dunlap addressed the Order’s global diplomatic and institutional activities, who gradually increased in the course of 2022. He emphasized that they play a pivotal role in ensuring that humanitarian goods are delivered to the needy and that staff in the field are protected under the international safeguarding laws. Countless appeals have been made by the Order’s Permanent Observers at the UN, both in New York and Geneva, to end hostilities and to protect civilians. As such, he visited the President of the Italian Republic and met with foreign authorities from various countries including Albania, Panama, El Salvador, Argentina, Taiwan, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Latvia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Romania. The Order of Malta also participated in the Munich Security Conference and organized a meeting of the Transatlantic Policy Network.

Further to this, H.E. Fra’ John Dunlap expressed the Order’s concern for the ongoing crises and wars around the world, citing the World Bank, who estimates that the pandemic has triggered one of the worst economic crises since 1870, pushing to the margins millions of people. He added that the war in Ukraine has further exacerbated the situation, first and foremost for the Ukrainian people with far reaching consequences, such as soaring commodity and energy costs and expressed his concern on human rights violations, poverty and disease as a result of war and climate change, calling on the international community to step up its action to stop these violations and promoting dialogue and diplomacy to solve conflicts.

As we brace for an unprecedented global food crisis, and as climate change and wars continue to have domino and far-reaching effects, H.E. reiterated that ‘it is the Order of Malta’s modus operandi to ensure that all efforts are aimed to helping the needy in the best possible way. This coordinated response which binds together “hands-on projects” – implemented by skilled professionals – supported by the global diplomatic and institutional network has been essential in delivering timely relief.’