The Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, H.E. Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, delivered a statement during the United Nations Security Council meeting on September 21st in the context of an open debate focused on Ukraine.

It was the first time a Grand Chancellor of the Order took the floor in a Head of Government capacity at the Security Council.

In his address, the Grand Chancellor emphasized the extensive humanitarian efforts carried out by the Order of Malta and its affiliated relief organizations ever since the commencement of the Ukraine war. He noted that finding a straightforward resolution to this conflict is a complex challenge, but underscored that peace remains the sole means to alleviate the ongoing tragic situation. He acknowledged that the process may be protracted, arduous, and fraught with suffering, yet he stressed that there are no viable alternatives if the goal is to promptly mitigate the immense human suffering and the adverse global economic and social repercussions.

Furthermore, the Grand Chancellor highlighted the substantial economic toll exacted on the global economy, particularly affecting the most impoverished nations and vulnerable societal segments. He noted that governmental bodies, along with independent analysts, have conservatively estimated that by the conclusion of 2023, the world economy will have expended $224 billion on this conflict alone, an amount substantial enough to fund UNICEF’s operations for over thirty years.