UNIAPAC
Encyclopedia
The International Christian Union of Business Executives or UNIAPAC is an ecumenical organization for Christian
businesspeople.
in 1921 and France
in 1926. In 1931, a group of Catholic employers created a International Comité d'Initiative at the 40th anniversary of the Encyclical Rerum Novarum
in Rome
. In addition they took the initiative to organize regularly Internationales des Associations Patronales Catholiques. UNIAPAC was founded in Rome in 1931 as the International Conferences of Catholic Employers by the organizations of Catholic Entrepreneurs from France, Belgium and The Netherlands and also people from Italy
, Germany
and Czechoslovakia
.
In 1946, under General Secretary A.H.M. Albregst, UNIAPAC was established as the Union Internationale des Associations Patronales Catholiques. In 1948 UNIAPAC expanded to Latin-America, starting in Chile
. In 1958, a permanent international secretariat was created in Brussels
with the support of Léon Bekaert
(Belgium) and Peter H. Werhahn (Germany).
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
businesspeople.
History
The predecessors of the organization were national federations of Catholic employers in The Netherlands in 1915, BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in 1921 and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1926. In 1931, a group of Catholic employers created a International Comité d'Initiative at the 40th anniversary of the Encyclical Rerum Novarum
Rerum Novarum
Rerum Novarum is an encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on May 15, 1891. It was an open letter, passed to all Catholic bishops, that addressed the condition of the working classes. The encyclical is entitled: “Rights and Duties of Capital and Labour”...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. In addition they took the initiative to organize regularly Internationales des Associations Patronales Catholiques. UNIAPAC was founded in Rome in 1931 as the International Conferences of Catholic Employers by the organizations of Catholic Entrepreneurs from France, Belgium and The Netherlands and also people from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
and Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
In 1946, under General Secretary A.H.M. Albregst, UNIAPAC was established as the Union Internationale des Associations Patronales Catholiques. In 1948 UNIAPAC expanded to Latin-America, starting in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. In 1958, a permanent international secretariat was created in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
with the support of Léon Bekaert
Léon Bekaert
Léon Antoine Bekaert was a Belgian industrialist and politician. He was the son of Leo Leander Bekaert, who founded the family business in 1880....
(Belgium) and Peter H. Werhahn (Germany).
Presidents
- 1956-1959: Giuseppe Mosca (Italy)
- 1960-1964: Peter H. Werhahn (Germany)
- 1965-1968: Léon de Rosen (France)
- 1969-1972: Reinier A.H.M. Dobbelmann (The Netherlands)
- 1973-1976: Romuald Burkard (Switzerland)
- 1977-1981: Carlos E. Dietl (Argentina)
- 1981-1985: Antoine Bekaert (Belgium)
- 1986-1987: Philippe de Weck (Switzerland)
- 1988-1990: Ernst van den Biggelaar (The Netherlands)
- 1990-1993: Michel AlbertMichel AlbertMichel Albert is a French economist. He was born 25 February 1930 at Fontenay-le-Comte and is the Permanent Secretary of the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques since 1 January 2005....
(France) - 1994-1996: Guy de Wouters (Belgium)
- 1997-2000: Domingo Sugranyes (Spain)
- 2000-2003: H. Onno Ruding (The Netherlands)
- 2003-2006: Etienne Wibaux (France)
- 2006-: José Ignacio Mariscal (Mexico)