Director-General's remarks at the New Year Reception of the Diplomatic Club of Geneva

Diplomatic Club of Geneva – New Year Reception

Tuesday, 27 January 2026 at 6.30 p.m.
Salle des Pas Perdus, Palais des Nations

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen, 
Dear friends,

It is a great pleasure to join you this evening for the traditional New Year Reception of the Diplomatic Club of Geneva. I thank President Loretan and the organizers for this invitation, and for bringing together so many partners of International Geneva in this shared setting.

This year’s celebration is particularly meaningful as we mark the 50th anniversary of the Diplomatic Club. For half a century, the Club has been a cornerstone of Geneva’s diplomatic life, fostering dialogue, understanding and connection among members of the diplomatic and international community. By bringing together local Geneva and International Geneva, it has contributed to the spirit of multilateralism that defines this city.

International Geneva is home to a truly unique ecosystem: more than 40 international organizations, a near-universal representation of Member States through 187 permanent missions, hundreds of non-governmental organizations, and a dynamic academic and private sector. Together, these actors make Geneva not just a host city, but a global hub for dialogue and solutions.

Over the past year, this collective spirit has delivered tangible results, many of them here at the Palais des Nations. UN Geneva supported key intergovernmental processes, including negotiations and high-level discussions on peace and security, disarmament, global health, trade, human rights and emerging technologies, providing an inclusive platform for Member States to advance cooperation and multilateral solutions.

Looking forward, this moment also offers an opportunity to take stock. As we continue to mark the United Nations’ 80th anniversary, we are reminded of eight decades of collective efforts guided by the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. This milestone invites us to build on what has been achieved, while recognizing that multilateral cooperation must continue to evolve in a rapidly changing world. Member States have set out a clear agenda for the years ahead through initiatives such as the Pact for the Future, which provides a shared framework to strengthen cooperation and address long-term global challenges.

At the same time, the UN Secretary-General’s UN80 initiative is focused on ensuring that the United Nations itself is fit to deliver in a more effective, more coherent and more impactful way, even as needs grow, and resources remain constrained. Geneva, with its dense concentration of expertise, platforms and partnerships, will continue to play a central role in this effort. And the Diplomatic Club, through its convening power and its ability to connect people and ideas, remains an important partner in sustaining dialogue and cooperation.

As we celebrate the beginning of a new year and the Club’s remarkable anniversary, let us reaffirm our shared commitment to multilateralism and to working together for a more peaceful, equitable, and sustainable world. We have the experience, the knowledge, and the determination to act, together.

I wish you all peace, prosperity, and good health in the year ahead.

Thank you.