UNIAPAC is an international meeting place for Christian Business Leaders. Its goal is to promote, in the light of the Christian Social Teachings, a vision and a deployment of Corporate Social Responsibility serving people and the common good of the World.
What is UNIAPAC ?
UNIAPAC was born in 1931 as “Conférences Internationales des Associations de Patrons Catholiques'', between federations of Dutch, Belgian and French Catholic Employers (and with observers from Italy, Germany and Czechoslovakia), on the occasion of the 40 th anniversary of the Encyclical “Rerum Novarum” in Rome.
After World War II, UNIAPAC enlarged to other European countries and to Latin-American Countries and changed its first name for, in French, ‘ UN ion I nternationale des A ssociations PA tronales C atholiques', with the initials UNIAPAC ( 1949 ).
In 1962 , UNIAPAC becomes an ecumenical association under the new denomination ''International Christian Union of Business Executives'' , conserving its initials. By the same time, UNIAPAC gains members in Asia and in Africa.
Today , UNIAPAC welcomes member associations and individual members or companies from worldwide (with a stronger presence in Europe and Latin-America). It gathers more than 26 Associations, with more than 30 000 members.
As recall the Statutes, its purpose is :
• to study, disseminate and penetrate to the core of Christian social thinking in the light of the Gospels and within a context of international economic and social activity ;
• to serve as a link between Christian associations of business executives across the world, to promote and facilitate exchanges between them and to furnish a common mouthpiece if and when the need arises ;
• to support the activities of these national and regional associations ;
• to sponsor the founding of Christian associations of business executives where none exists ;
• more generally, to seize any opportunity and to promote any venture which will contribute to the realisation of the objectives listed above.
Since October 2009, Pierre Lecocq (France) has succeeded José Ignacio Mariscal (Mexico) as President of UNIAPAC International, with the help of the Vice-President Uniapac International and President Uniapac Latin America, Pascual Rubiani (Paraguay), and of Father Edouard Herr s.j. (Luxembourg) as Spiritual Adviser.
The key moment in the life of UNIAPAC has always been the World Congress, that gathers hundreds of committed business executives from all continents for a rich and intense time of fraternal exchange. This Congress now takes place every three years. The last one took place from the 1st to the 2nd of October 2009 in Mexico, with the theme:
"Values to build a better world, Entrepreneurship for sustainable Development"
During the Congress UNIAPAC of Mexico City at the end of September, 25 leaders of various African States could participate. They followed before the Congress a 4 days training organized by Uniapac on the Social Responsibility of Companies. Further to this rich and strong experience, and in order to spread it through Africa, our African friends organize a conference from 24th till 27th of February 2010 in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) on the theme of the social Responsibility. This event will mark the launching of UNIAPAC Africa. UNIAPAC deeply encourages this initiative and assures them of its support. Two Mexican speakers will be present to this event, and they will share us their experience and know-how in social Responsibility. Uniapac International will be represented by the President Pierre Lecocq, Philippe Mine delegate for Africa, André Baudoux from les EDC and Giovanni Facchini Martini from UCID.
