Director-General's remarks at the Opening of the Exhibition " Not a Woman’s Job?: Women Leading in Multilateralism and Diplomacy”

Opening of the UNOG photo exhibition  
“Not a Woman’s Job?: Women Leading in Multilateralism and Diplomacy”
Tuesday, 24 June 2025, at 11.00 a.m.
Mezzanine, E Building, Palais des Nations
 

Excellencies, 
Ladies and gentlemen, 

It is my great pleasure to welcome you today for the launch of this year’s edition of the “Not a Woman’s Job?” exhibition, dedicated to Women Leading in Multilateralism and Diplomacy. 

We gather today, on the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, to honour the vital role women play in shaping international cooperation, a reality powerfully reflected in the images that surround us. 

When the United Nations was founded in 1945, only four women were among the 850 delegates at the San Francisco Conference. But those four voices helped inscribe “equal rights of men and women” into the Charter, and not as a footnote, but as a founding principle. 

Over the decades, women have led negotiations, chaired disarmament talks, drafted human rights treaties, and represented nations at the highest levels. Yet, even now, women remain underrepresented in national and multilateral forums.  

As we mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations this year, this exhibition is both a celebration and a call to action. Because in a world facing unprecedented, interconnected challenges, from conflict to climate change, from pandemics to poverty, diplomacy needs all voices. 

The UN was born out of the ashes of the Second World War. Eight decades later, the principles and ambitions set out in the Charter are as relevant as ever, but their strength depends on how we uphold them today. 

This year’s theme, “Women in Multilateralism and Diplomacy”, highlights women who are not only participating in, but leading negotiations on peace and security, driving sustainable development, championing human rights and humanitarian action and shaping the future of digital governance and global cooperation. 

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the 60 Permanent Missions, representing all continents, who have contributed over 100 photographs to this year’s exhibition. Your engagement brings extraordinary visibility to women who are shaping diplomacy today, across all regions and levels of multilateral engagement.  

From special envoys to permanent representatives, from foreign ministers to heads of state, from peace mediators to humanitarian coordinators: together, these women offer a powerful portrait of what diplomacy looks like when it reflects the world it serves. 

I would like to also thank the Perception Change Project in my office for organizing this initiative, and the UN Library & Archives Geneva for providing images that connect this work to the history of the Palais des Nations and the important work that takes place in its walls. It is greatly encouraging to see photos from conference rooms changing over time: if before they were dominated by men, now it’s a completely different story, even if we still need to do a lot to achieve full gender equality in representation. 

Finally, I would like to extend a special thanks to every woman gathered here today who works to open doors, challenge bias, and strive for gender equality. This exhibition reminds us that diplomacy is not defined by gender, but by courage, skill, and vision. 

May this exhibition renew our shared commitment to a multilateralism that is inclusive, effective, and truly representative. 

Thank you.