Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA)
- Date of Founding
- 1946
- Date of Abolition
- Location
American ecumenists pushed soon after the end of the Second World War for the creation of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA). This idea was accepted at a meeting of the Provisional Council of the World Council of Churches in February 1946 and in August 1946 it was founded during the International Conference of Church Leaders on the Problems of World Order in Cambridge. The WCC (in process of formation) and IMC became its parent supervising bodies. Three ecumenists originating in different networks, Kenneth Grubb, a Briton from PAG, O. Frederick Nolde, an American from the CJDP, and Frederick baron Van Asbeck, a Dutchman from the WCC, were tasked to run the CCIA. The CCIA was entrusted to prepare and introduce topics addressing war and peace, international law, human rights, religious freedom, and communism. In the early years, human rights issues became the focus of attention of the CCIA. The CCIA was among the first international non-governmental organizations to be granted consultative status by the UN Economic and Social Council.
After its inauguration on 1 January 1947, the CCIAs first major task were mainly research orientated for the WCC. Its second, more important task was to defend the passage of the religious liberty clauses in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) at the General Assembly of the UN, in which it succeeded. After the UHDR was adopted, the CCIA gradually focused more on questions of war, threats to peace, nuclear arms and disarmament, also core issues incorporated into its Charter.
The CCIAs premise to stay neutral in East-West politics appeared to be difficult. In 1949, CCIA could not avoid being drawn deeper into East-West antagonism. CCIA more prominently started to monitor international affairs in Europe. The Cold War climate seduced high officials to speak negatively about Communist regimes in Hungary and Bulgaria. As the CCIA was pre-dominantly ruled by Americans, it also showed support for the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty. However, also opposite voices were heard within the CCIA.
Nowadays, the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs comprises 35 people nominated by churches and regional ecumenical organizations and advise the World Council of Churches. They usually meet once a year, while the working groups stay in contact in-between commission meetings. The CCIA continues to maintain consultative relations on behalf of the WCC with the UN and related agencies. For more information see here.