On Tuesday, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, the Pope's chief emissary to the United Nations in Geneva, charged the delegates gathered in Nairobi to "help developing countries to attain long-term debt sustainability." He asked the summit to "aim at a high level of ambition" and seek to support developing countries. Jurkovič also reminded all delegates of the UN mandate to address the predatory behavior of so-called "vulture funds." The Vatican leader also made some of the strongest statements on trade policy noting, "Most importantly any development and growth strategy needs to be centered on the human person and on the primacy of human work. The Holy See believes that in order to achieve this result it is of primary importance to integrate the different social and economic dimensions of development, so as to create an international system balanced on an idea of development that would be truly sustainable, inclusive and equitable at all levels."

"The Vatican delegation is the moral compass of this summit and they are bringing sides together to ensure we have a deal that lifts people and promotes the common good." noted LeCompte. "Their presence and their words remind us that people's lives are at stake."

One of the highest ranking Vatican officials landed in Nairobi on Tuesday night to bring the message of Pope Francis to the UNCTAD meetings. Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, will headline a high-level session on Wednesday afternoon.

The Nairobi summit comes amid increasing debt crises across Africa, including significant crises in countries like Mozambique and Ghana. Thirty of the 38 countries that received international debt relief over the past twenty years are African.

"UNCTAD built the consensus for billions of dollars in international debt relief that benefited the world's poorest countries," stated LeCompte. "This year's summit can continue that legacy by promoting improved debt restructuring and responsible lending and borrowing."