Director-General's message for the Opening of the CoNGO 28th General Assembly “Defining the present, securing a shared future, asserting Civil Society participation at the United Nations”

Opening of the CoNGO 28th General Assembly “Defining the present, securing a shared future, asserting Civil Society participation at the United Nations”

Monday, 27 October 2025, at 1.15 p.m. (NYT)

Delivered on behalf of the Director-General by Mr. Philippe Hug, Chief, NGO Liaison Unit, Office of the Director-General

Dear representatives of civil society, 
Dear friends of the United Nations,

Good afternoon. It is a pleasure to join you and to read a message on behalf of the Director-General, Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, who unfortunately could not be with us today.

“It is a great pleasure to address you once again during the General Assembly of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO).  
For 77 years, CoNGO has stood alongside the United Nations – supporting its mission, challenging it to do better, and reminding us that multilateralism can only thrive with the active and courageous participation of civil society actors.

As we mark 80 years since the adoption of the UN Charter, we also celebrate 80 years of an idea: that peace, human rights, and development are inseparable, and that only together can we safeguard them.

We meet at a moment of profound transformation. Our world is full of contradictions: extraordinary scientific progress alongside deep inequality; unprecedented connectivity shadowed by mistrust and disinformation; the promise of sustainability strained by conflict and climate disruption.

Everywhere, we see how fragile our interdependence has become: from rising temperatures and displacement to the erosion of trust in institutions.

But defining the present is not to surrender to despair. It is to recognize the scale of the challenges and to see, within them, the contours of possibility. The forces that can divide – technology, globalization, diversity – can also unite us when guided by solidarity, justice, and collaboration.

Our shared future depends on how we act today. We cannot build peace or sustainability by turning inward or working alone.

Multilateralism remains our best tool for collective survival, but it must evolve. It must become more inclusive, more effective, and more connected to people’s real needs.

Looking inwards, the UN80 initiative aims to reform of how UN works. The initiative aims to streamline operations, reduce duplication, and realign structures so that the UN can respond more effectively to today’s global challenges. Through greater efficiency, accountability, and collaboration across all of the UN’s pillars, the UN80 initiative will help us build a more agile and impactful United Nations.

Looking outwards, at last year’s Summit of the Future, Member States renewed their resolve for global cooperation and recognized that today’s challenges require partnerships across all sectors of society. The Pact for the Future reaffirmed the crucial role of civil society in shaping an inclusive, responsive and effective United Nations.

You bridge the global and the local, transforming international commitments into actions that improve lives. Our shared future depends on that bridge: between aspiration and implementation.

At the same time, Civil society is not an observer in multilateralism – it is a partner, a source of expertise that help shape a more just, and fair world. You hold governments accountable and give voice to those too often unheard. There can be no strong United Nations without strong civic space.

In our past dialogues, we have spoken of “a dynamic and evolving multilateralism.”
That dynamism depends on you: on every NGO, every advocate, every citizen who believes dialogue can overcome division.

It is encouraging to see a growing involvement of civil society actors in the work of the United Nations. When it comes to the engagement of civil society actors with the UN system in Geneva, this year again, we expect an increase in the number of accredited NGOs. 
To build a better future, we must continue to create space for every voice, especially those that challenge us to be better.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The UN Charter begins with the words, “We the peoples.” Those peoples – you – represent the richness of civil society and are at the heart of how we understand and respond to this moment.

As CoNGO gathers for its 28th General Assembly, may this be a moment of renewed purpose.

Let us define the present with courage, secure our shared future with determination, and defend the vital role of civil society with conviction.

Together, we can ensure that the promise of the UN Charter, born eighty years ago, remains alive for generations to come”

Thank you.