take C a category. There is a global sections functor Γ:C−>Set given by Hom(1,−).
take the pullback CΓSetcodSet→.
From any type theory T, we build syn(T), where objects are the types, and morphisms are terms with free variables. (ie, A→B is a term of type B involving a free variable of type A)
whatever structure T had will be visible in syn(T). eg: if T has products, then syn(T) will have products. moreover, syn(T) will be the initial such category. For any other C with the appropriate structure, there will a functor syn(T)→C.
To use this to prove properties of T, we'll need to cook up a special C, so that syn(T)→C can tell us something. Further, this C must somehow depend on T to explore properties of T, so let's call it C(T).
We must use the uniqueness of the morphism syn(T) to C(T) (ie, the initiality of syn(T)), because that's what makes this thing universal.