WCC NEWS: Media accreditation remains open for the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee meeting, 15 – 18 June, 2022

The upcoming central committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) 15 – 18 June will be the sixth meeting of this central committee since it was elected at the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan, Republic of Korea, in 2013. The central committee meets normally every two years and serves as the chief governing body of the WCC between assemblies, but due to the pandemic the central committee has met online in June 2021 and February 2022. The central committee is responsible for implementing the policies adopted by the assembly, reviewing and supervising WCC programmes and the budget of the council. The current central committee’s mandate terminates at the WCC 11th Assembly, which takes place 31 August – 8 September 2022 in Karlsruhe, Germany.    The WCC central committee will convene eye-to-eye onsite for the first time since 2018. It will take place at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva and predominately focus on final preparations for the upcoming WCC assembly in Karlsruhe, constitutional matters and the election of the next general secretary. Media accreditation for access to open plenary sessions, press conference, briefings and seminars – onsite, as well as online – are mandatory. Open plenary sessions can be followed via live stream in adjacent onsite press centre only (no physical access to the plenary hall due to COVID-19 restrictions), while press conferences, briefings and seminars will be physically accessible and live streamed globally.   Apply for accreditation by filling out and returning accreditation form to media@wcc-coe.org. Tentative schedule for media activities: Wednesday 15 June: 10:30 CET: Media orientation – onsite and online. 11:00 – 16:30 CET: Open sessions with onsite access to the media.  For your convenience, the moderator’s opening address on 15 June, as well as the general secretary’s report, will be made available under embargo for accredited media from 11:00 CET on Wednesday 15 June. Thursday 16 June: 10:30 CET: Media orientation – onsite and online. 11:00 – 12:30 CET: Media seminar on Thursdays in Black: New Solidarity for Gender and Media Advocacy Friday 17 June: 10:30 CET: Media orientation – onsite and online. 11:00 – 12:00 CET: Media seminar – onsite and online (topic tba). 12:30 CET: Press conference – onsite and online. Saturday 18 June: No scheduled onsite activities at this point. WCC onsite media centre is open from 9:00 – 16:00 CET.  More information about the WCC Central Committee and other governing bodies of WCC, as well as news releases and other information, can be found at the WCC Press Centre. For further questions, please drop us a line in the WCC media inbox You are also most welcome to contact: Marianne Ejdersten, WCC Director of Communication, mej@wcc-coe.org, +41 79 507 6363. Claus Grue, WCC Communication Consultant and Media Coordinator, clg@wcc-coe.org, +46 70 611 0977. See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland