Director-General's remarks at the Seminar on "Rebuilding Security in Europe" with students from the University of St Gallen

Seminar on "Rebuilding Security in Europe" with students from the University of St Gallen
Tuesday, 27 October 2026 at 3.00 p.m.
Room XV, Palais des Nations

Ambassador Greminger,
Dear students,

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Palais des Nations, home of the United Nations Office in Geneva, also called UNOG. I hope you learned a lot about the United Nations through the guided tour that you took today.

I wish to warmly thank the Geneva Centre for Security Policy for bringing you here today and for facilitating this exchange.

Today, I would like to share with you some thoughts about multilateralism and international cooperation in the context of the work of the UN Office at Geneva and then reflect on some broader trends in the global governance system amid the multiple challenges facing us.

International Geneva and UNOG

International Geneva is a unique ecosystem and the operational hub of the UN system. It is a key center for diplomacy, with representations from 187 UN Member States. Geneva also hosts over 40 intergovernmental organizations, hundreds of civil society organizations, academic institutions and other partners. In addition, individuals in Geneva are at the forefront of technological innovation, trade, development and humanitarian assistance, health, peace-building and environmental protection.

UNOG serves as the representative office of the UN Secretary-General in Europe. Its core function is the provision of services to support multilateral diplomacy. UN Geneva plays a leading role in fostering and enabling collaboration with and among Member States and supporting intergovernmental processes. Many high-level delegations gather at UNOG every year to participate in meetings, and conferences, as well as hold bilateral exchanges. Among them are meetings of the Human Rights Council, the Conference on Disarmament, the annual session of the International Labour Conference and of the World Health Assembly.  In 2025, UNOG hosted and serviced almost 9,000 meetings, which makes UNOG one of the busiest UN duty stations in the world in terms of conference management.

Geneva today is also a place with almost universal diplomatic representation, which gives it a multicultural character that you feel in the corridors. This is why culture is one of our priorities: exhibitions, concerts and other cultural activities help us build bridges between people and cultures. Diplomacy is not only about negotiating texts, but also about fostering understanding and identifying shared interests among people and nations.

Thanks to its multicultural diversity, Geneva became an incredible centre of knowledge and innovation in various fields, and an ideal location to reinforce and develop synergies on new and emerging topics on the global agenda.

Just one example: Geneva is the birthplace of the International Gender Champions, a leadership network that brings together female and male decision-makers determined to break down gender barriers and make gender equality a working reality. To date, the network comprises over 300 active champions and nearly 600 Alumni in several multilateral hubs around the world, who actively advance gender equality within their organizations and through programmatic work.

Geneva is also home to numerous global forums that bring together experts, policymakers and practitioners to address pressing global challenges. Earlier this month, the Geneva Peace Forum convened just across the Place des Nations. Geneva also hosts initiatives such as the annual AI for Good Summit, which explores how technological advances can contribute to solving some of the world's most pressing problems. This unique ecosystem makes Geneva an unparalleled place to come together, exchange ideas and develop innovative and collaborative solutions.

Geneva is also an important venue for international disarmament diplomacy. It is home to the Conference on Disarmament, the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, comprising 65 Member States. Crucial international disarmament treaties have been adopted here, including the landmark 1925 Geneva Protocol banning chemical and biological weapons, the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Here at the Palais des Nations, we also support a range of multilateral disarmament agreements and disarmament-related conferences, such as the Review Conferences of the Biological Weapons Convention, and the Preparatory Committee of the Review Conferences of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

International Geneva has a long history of being the ‘city of choice’ for peace processes. Mediators, special envoys, and parties themselves value the neutral, discreet, and secure spaces available for dialogue. Many peace talks, conflict prevention efforts and mediation initiatives take place at the Palais des Nations. We host and facilitate several UN-led peace processes, including those on Syria, Libya, Cyprus, Georgia and Yemen. For example, last week, we hosted high-level consultations on Sudan and this week tribal leaders from Yemen will be signing a Code of Honor. This important activity necessitates purpose-built facilities, which we have at the Palais des Nations in the area called “Concordia”, where you began your guided tour.

The contemporary role of Geneva as a global hub for diplomacy, dialogue and cooperation is deeply rooted in its history. Geneva is the birthplace of modern multilateralism. In 1919, the creation of the League of Nations embodied an ambitious vision for managing international relations in the aftermath of the First World War. Its objective was nothing less than the preservation of international peace.

Despite its shortcomings, the League of Nations laid many of the foundations for what the United Nations does today. From disarmament to the protection of minorities and refugees, from international justice to intellectual cooperation and labour standards, its legacy helped shape the modern multilateral system based on international law and cooperation.

While Geneva is often considered the cradle of multilateralism, it is also the guardian of its memory. For decades, the archives of the League of Nations remained largely inaccessible in the basement of the Palais des Nations. Since 2022, however, they have been available online to everyone, everywhere, free of charge. They bear witness to the commitment of our predecessors to the cause of peace and international cooperation. Which means that tonight, from your laptop, you can read what delegates wrote in the 1920s and 1930s, including their debates, arguments and warnings, and reflect on how those discussions continue to resonate today.

Global governance trends

Now, let us look at global governance trends under which the UN works.

Today we face the highest level of geopolitical tensions in decades, new and developing global threats, and more deadly and complex conflicts. Growing inequalities, economic shocks, distrust at all levels and climate-related emergencies are on the rise.

As the UN Secretary-General repeatedly stated, we need a just and sustained peace in Ukraine, de-escalation in the Middle East, and strengthened regional and international efforts to resolve conflicts through negotiations.

Today, the global community is more fragmented and divided than at any time since the end of the Second World War. The current multilateral architecture is eroding and there are several reasons for it.

First, low confidence in national institutions and global governance. This has led to a crisis of trust between people and the institutions that represent them. At the same time, there is a rise of strongman politics and short-sighted unilateral approaches. Global decision-making is fixed on immediate gain, ignoring the long-term consequences of decisions and action – or inaction. In this landscape, countries and individuals have become disillusioned with globalization and fail to see the enormous gains of multilateral cooperation.  

Second, the international community is no longer multi-polar but rather polycentric, with an increasing number of state and non-state actors, including big tech companies, think tanks and NGOs.

Third, the UN itself is in urgent need of reform. To remain fit for purpose, it must better reflect today's geopolitical and economic realities rather than the balance of power inherited from 1945.
As the UN Secretary-General repeatedly said: “We cannot build a future for our grandchildren with a system built for our grandparents.”

The reform of the Security Council illustrates both the necessity and the complexity of this undertaking. Everyone agrees the Security Council must be more representative, efficient and effective but nobody agrees on how such reform should be achieved.

Any amendment to the UN Charter requires a two-third majority in the General Assembly and ratification by two-thirds of Member States, including all permanent members of the Security Council.

Yet institutional reform alone will not be enough. The Pact for the Future recognizes that today's challenges are too complex for governments and international organizations to address on their own. To address them, we need stronger partnerships with civil society, the private sector, academia and other stakeholders.

We see this approach in action here in Geneva. The upcoming meeting of Yemeni tribal leaders at the Palais des Nations is an example of multilateral cooperation at its best: an initiative led by civil society, supported by UN Member States, and hosted by UNOG. It demonstrates that, while reforming institutions is essential, lasting solutions ultimately depend on bringing together a broad range of actors around a common purpose.

Why does multilateralism matter? 

Global challenges do not stop at borders. No country can address those challenges alone. The COVID-19 pandemic, for one, was reminder of how deeply interdependent the world is. We need to break down silos and improve how we work together across issues and sectors.

In a nutshell, multilateralism offers:
•    A platform for dialogue where diverse voices can be heard, and consensus can be built.  
•    A mechanism for shared responsibility and burden-sharing in addressing global problems.  
•    A foundation of law and norms that guide state behavior and protect the most vulnerable.  
•    Opportunities for innovation and partnership across governments, civil society, and the private sector.  
 
Although multilateralism faces unprecedented challenges, recent momentum signals not withdrawal, but renewal. In his January 2026 address to the General Assembly, the UN Secretary General underscored the UN’s commitment to “keep working, keep fighting, and keep pushing for the better world that we know is possible."  

In multilateral diplomacy, almost everything is decided by consensus. That gives the result legitimacy, but it also makes progress slow.

Take plastic pollution. The talks on the world’s first legally binding plastics treaty have been running since 2022. In August 2025 they ended in Geneva after ten days of negotiations without a deal, because a smaller group of countries would not accept limits on the production of plastics that about a hundred countries wanted.

Another example: In May 2025 Member States adopted the WHO Pandemic Agreement here in Geneva, after three years of work. Countries are now working on the annex on sharing pathogens. Talks in Geneva in spring 2026 ended without agreement, and the new target is the World Health Assembly in May 2027. That is not failure. That is what diplomacy looks like. Ultimately, it requires perseverance and patience. 

Renewal, not retreat
 
Encouragingly, there are also signs of renewal. In 2024, UN Member States adopted the Pact for the Future at the Summit of the Future – a forward-looking agreement to deliver a better present and safeguard the future. The Pact and its annexes – the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations – set out commitments to reform peace and security, make global financial governance fairer, harness digital technologies responsibly and embed long-term thinking in today’s decision-making. The Pact is not a magic wand, but it presents a shared commitment - by Member States and beyond - to rebuild trust and deliver results. 

The year 2025 marked the first full year of its implementation. The General Assembly has launched follow-up dialogues on means of implementation, monitoring and review to ensure that the Pact moves from words on paper to tangible change by 2028. The United Nations system is also mobilizing to support implementation.  

This includes: 
•    Coordinating follow-up through a high-level steering committee, chaired by the UN Secretary-General;
•    Driving progress through six UN-wide working groups and two task teams, focused on key thematic priorities;
•    Supporting implementation at regional level, through the UN Regional Economic Commissions, and at country level, through Resident Coordinators and Country Teams; Providing strategic guidance, data, coordination and communications via a dedicated team for Pact implementation within the Executive Office of the Secretary-General.  

Dear students,

Today the world stands at a crossroads, a fragile moment in time where the state of multilateral cooperation is changing and is being put to the test.  

Despite the challenges, the United Nations remains the only truly global, truly legitimate table around which all stakeholders can come together to find solutions. The involvement of young people is key to making this transformation happen. With the greatest stake in our future, you have a central role to play. You have the passion to innovate and the power to raise awareness and have consistently demonstrated both the will and the skillset to bring about meaningful and necessary change. You can play a paramount role in rethinking and reshaping paradigms and be a positive force for the future. This was emphasized in the Pact for the Future, which I mentioned before.

Looking to the future, the first-ever United Nations Youth Townhall will take place from 8 to 10 December 2026 in Heidelberg, Germany. Convened by the United Nations Youth Office and led by Assistant Secretary-General Felipe Paullier, it will bring together more than 1,000 young people and representatives of governments, civil society, the private sector and the United Nations. This Townhall offers an important opportunity for meaningful youth participation. Its discussions will address sustainable development, peace and security, and human rights, as well as education, technology, mental health and economic opportunities. Most importantly, it reflects a growing understanding that young people are not simply the leaders of tomorrow.

At UNOG, we also support the involvement of young people in global affairs and provide a range of opportunities, programmes and events to engage and empower youth. These include the Young Activists Summit, the Graduate Study Programme, Young Reporters at the UN and other youth-focused events, such as students’ visits to the Palais des Nations, like this one.

Importantly, these initiatives are not only about helping young people to learn about multilateralism, but are about two-way exchanges, allowing us here at the UN Office at Geneva to hear your views and incorporate your perspectives into our work.

St. Gallen is well-known for its annual student-led Symposium held at the city’s main university. As a completely student-led initiative for 55 years, the St. Gallen Symposium bridges the gap between current decision-makers and the next generation contributing to global inter-generational cooperation. UNOG, in particular the Beyond Lab of UN Geneva, is pleased to have collaborated with the Symposium through joint projects in the past, and we look forward to opportunities for future collaboration.

Thank you for being here today, and for the curiosity, energy, and commitment you bring to these issues.

It will now be my pleasure to hear your questions and exchange views with you.