OFFICIAL NAME
International Christian Union of Business Executives
ACRONYM
UNIAPAC (after the original name of the Association: Union Internationale des Associations Patronales Catholiques)
ESTABLISHED
1931
HISTORY
UNIAPAC began as the International Conference of Associations of Catholic Employers, made up of the associations of the Netherlands, Belgium and France (with observers from Italy, Germany and Czechoslovakia) on the 40th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, in order to bring together employers and managers who drew their inspiration for their work and professional duties from Christian social teaching. After the Second World War, UNIAPAC spread to other European countries and Latin America. In the 1970s, the Union became an ecumenical association, and took its present name, taking in among its members associations from Asia and Africa. In 1975, it inaugurated the so-called "Church-Transnational Corporations Dialogues", set against the background of an increased awareness of the role that business has to play in society. UNIAPAC has relations with all the international governmental and non-governmental organisations working in the field of economics and business management, and with the Holy See and the World Council of Churches. It is an invited member of the Conference of ICOs, and as an NGO has consultative status with Unctad, UNESCO, ILO and the Economic Commission for Latin America.
IDENTITY
UNIAPAC is an international forum for debate between entrepreneurs and business executives belonging to different cultures and social economic and professional environments, to help its members to combine Christian faith, business dynamism and economic requirements; to make the Christian spirit one of the key elements in the practical work of business executives and managers; to form business executives to adopt a philosophy for action based on Christian social teaching, so that being sensitive to the needs of the common good, they can both produce wealth and promote social and human development; to foster initiatives to help to attain these objectives. The Union pursues its purposes through publications, studies, seminars, colloquiums and congresses. UNIAPAC has played an active part in the debate on Third World debt and the political and economic restructuring of Third World countries. At the present time it is dealing with the situation in the countries of Eastern Europe — which are undergoing a process of economic/social reconstruction and transition towards the market economy — and with the challenges of the economic and financial globalisation of the world in general, and the Mediterranean area in particular.
ORGANISATION
UNIAPAC has active members, which are associations that refer explicitly to the Christian spirit and associate members, which are individuals and corporate persons that support its work. UNIAPAC is governed by an Executive Office with decision-making and directive functions, made up of the President, the Vice Presidents, the General Secretary, the Treasurer, the Presidents of the member associations, past Presidents of the Union, and four Ecclesiastical Assistants (Spiritual Advisers); the General Secretariat, headed by a General Secretary appointed by the Board and proposed by the President; the General Assembly which comprises the active members with voting rights, and the associated members of the Union; and the Programming Committee, which is a think tank.
MEMBERSHIP
UNIAPAC has 31 member associations in 25 countries as follows: Africa (1), Asia (1), Europe (13), North America (1), and South America (9).
PUBLICATIONS
Uniapac News, periodical newsletter published in English, French and Spanish; Les Cahiers Socio-Économiques de l’UNIAPAC, a series of studies and documents on economic ethics and policy, published in various languages.
WEB SITE
HEADQUARTERS
UNIAPAC
2, place des Barricades - 1000 Brussels - Belgium
Tel. [+32]2.2183114 - Fax 2.2197037
Email: info@uniapac.org
