Director-General's remarks at the UNOG-NGIC High-Level Meeting "Reshaping Multilateralism in an Era of Divides and Transformation"

UNOG – NGIC High-Level Meeting: “Reshaping Multilateralism 
in an Era of Divides and Transformation”

Thursday, 15 January 2026, 10:00 a.m.
Room V, Palais des Nations
 

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the Palais des Nations for this annual High-Level Meeting on “Reshaping Multilateralism in an Era of Divides and Transformation.”

I extend my sincere thanks to the Nizami Ganjavi International Center for co-organizing this event, which has become a valued tradition here in Geneva and a trusted space for open and forward-looking dialogue on the world’s most pressing challenges.

The theme before us could not be more timely. As recent days have once again illustrated, we are living through a critical inflection point for the international system. Conflicts are at their highest levels in decades. Nearly two billion people live in conflict-affected settings, and close to 40 per cent of the world’s multidimensionally poor are exposed to violence[1]. For millions, insecurity is not an exception - it is a daily reality.

Economic pressures compound this crisis. 3.4 billion people now live in countries that spend more on debt servicing than on health or education[2]. In 2025, an estimated 808 million people - nearly one in ten globally - will be living in extreme poverty.[3] Without urgent action, leaving no one behind will remain a distant goal by 2030.

At the same time, the climate crisis is accelerating. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the past 11 years - from 2015 to 2025 - are the warmest on record. The three-year average for 2023-2025 is on track to exceed the 1.5-degree threshold for the first time.[4] The window for meaningful action is rapidly closing.

These were just a few challenges we face. And yet, this moment of crisis is also a moment of possibility. It is an opportunity to reshape multilateralism so that it is more effective, more inclusive, and more responsive to today’s realities.

The United Nations has articulated this vision through the Pact for the Future, adopted at the Summit of the Future in 2024, together with the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations. These frameworks provide a clear roadmap to rebuild trust, strengthen international cooperation, and deliver tangible results for people and planet.

Over the next two days, your discussions will explore how global governance is evolving in practice - from the future of global institutions to climate action, technology, peace and mediation, human mobility, health, gender equality, and inclusive economies. Across these themes, one trend is clear: multilateralism is becoming networked. States remain central, but progress increasingly depends on partnerships with cities, businesses, civil society, academia and youth.  

Geneva, with its unique concentration of diplomatic, scientific, humanitarian, and technological expertise, is uniquely positioned to anchor this renewed cooperation. The discussions taking place in Room V resonate far beyond these walls.

One of the sessions will be dedicated to the climate. As countries have moved from COP29 to COP30, delivery – particularly on climate finance – is now critical. Mobilizing 1.3 trillion US dollars annually for developing countries will require decisive collective action. Geneva’s institutions play a vital role in translating science into policy and commitments into results.

The discussion on technology and artificial intelligence is equally critical. With the right governance and guardrails, AI can accelerate sustainable development and inclusion. Without them, it risks deepening inequalities.

This is why the United Nations has launched the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, established the International Independent Scientific Panel on AI[5], and proposed a global capacity-building architecture - including a global AI fund and a network of regional and national AI centres[6]. Together, these three pillars form the basis of a new global architecture for AI governance. In this regard, I welcome the decision to hold the first session of the Global Dialogue here in Geneva in 2026, alongside the AI for Good Summit.

Peace and security remain at the heart of the UN’s mission. Today, nearly a quarter of humanity lives in conflict-affected areas[7]. The need for preventive diplomacy, mediation, and confidence-building has never been greater. Tomorrow’s panel on peace and mediation - highlighting the indispensable role of women and youth - aligns directly with the UN’s efforts to strengthen preventive diplomacy and strengthen capacities for dialogue.

This meeting will also address human mobility and global health - two issues that cannot be tackled in isolation. As of the end of June 2025, 117.3 million people had been forced to flee their homes globally[8], while the world continues to face persistent pandemic risks and fragile health systems. Strengthening global solidarity, preparedness and cooperation – particularly through institutions such as WHO and humanitarian partners based in Geneva – is essential to managing these shared risks.

A resilient global order also requires inclusive and sustainable economies. Debt distress, poverty and stalled progress on the Sustainable Development Goals demand a more equitable international financial system, renewed global cooperation on development financing and accelerated economic transformation that work for all – not just for some.

I am particularly pleased that this year’s event highlights women’s leadership. When women meaningfully participate in peace processes, agreements are 35 percent[9] more likely to endure. Gender equality is not only a moral imperative - it is a strategic one for effective multilateralism.

All these discussions resonate strongly with the 80^th anniversary of the United Nations, marked in 2025. This is not merely an occasion for commemoration; it is also a moment for renewal - an opportunity to strengthen trust, modernize our institutions, and ensure that the decisions we take today safeguard future generations.

To translate this renewed ambition into action, the Organization is implementing its UN80 Initiative. This system-wide reform effort focuses on three priorities:

• improving efficiency and reducing bureaucracy,
• reviewing mandates to eliminate duplication and sharpen impact, and
• pursuing structural reforms and programme realignment to enable the UN to act more coherently and effectively.

The New Humanitarian Compact, as part of UN80, reflects this same ambition - to make humanitarian action faster, more reliable, and more coordinated by acting as one. In 2026 alone, 23 billion US dollars will be required to assist 87 million people in the most desperate need[10], even as global military spending continues to vastly rise.

Excellencies,

Across all these themes – global governance, climate, technology, peace and security, health and global solidarity, gender equality, and inclusive economies - one reality is clear: no country, no institution, and no sector can meet today’s challenges alone.

Reshaping multilateralism means broadening participation, strengthening trust, embedding science and ethics in decision-making, renewing our institutions, and delivering - together.

This High-Level Meeting is an opportunity not only to reflect, but to help shape the multilateralism the world urgently needs.

I thank you for your leadership and partnership, and I wish you productive and forward-looking discussions.

Thank you.