Director-General's remarks at the Geneva International Model United Nations (GIMUN) UN Day 2026

Geneva International Model United Nations (GIMUN) UN Day 2026
Monday, 19 October 2026 at 10.00 a.m.
Room Concordia 1, Palais des Nations

Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear GIMUN members,

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Palais des Nations for GIMUN’s annual meeting to mark UN Day. Being here with you today, I am reminded that many of the diplomats, negotiators, researchers, lawyers, economists, and leaders who will help address the world's challenges in the years ahead may well be sitting in this room.

As we gather today, just ahead of the annual commemoration of United Nations Day on 24 October, we celebrate the entry into force of the UN Charter of 1945 and reflect on the enduring principles that continue to guide the international community: peace, cooperation, human dignity, and collective action in addressing shared challenges.

These principles are reflected not only in the work of governments and international organizations, but also throughout society, including among young people and civil society. Organizations such as GIMUN, led entirely by students from diverse cultural and social backgrounds, help bring these values to life. Through engagement with pressing international issues, they deepen understanding of the United Nations and promote the principles for which it stands.

Many of today’s most pressing challenges transcend national borders and cannot be addressed by any country or generation acting alone. From public health crises and food insecurity to technological governance and forced displacement, these issues underscore the importance of multilateral cooperation. They also remind us that solidarity must extend across generations. Decisions taken today will shape the opportunities, security, and well-being of future generations, just as we continue to benefit from the institutions and norms built by those who came before us.

Yet, at a moment when collective action is more necessary than ever, achieving consensus is becoming increasingly difficult. This highlights the urgent need to reaffirm our shared commitment to dialogue, solidarity, and long-term global solutions. At the same time, the planet itself reminds us of the cost of delayed action. Climate change is accelerating, with tangible impacts on communities, economies, and livelihoods around the globe.

It is therefore particularly fitting that today's discussion focuses on Preventing Conflicts Related to Climate-Driven Migration, a challenge that calls for exactly these values of cooperation, solidarity, and collective action.

Climate change increasingly acts as a threat multiplier. More frequent and intense droughts, floods, storms, and other climate-related hazards are placing growing pressure on communities and contributing to displacement. We see such impacts here in Switzerland as well, for example, through the consequences of retreating glaciers and growing environmental instability in mountain regions.

For many people, migration becomes a means of adaptation and resilience. Yet when population movements occur in contexts already facing social, economic, or environmental pressures, existing tensions can be exacerbated.

This is why our focus must be on prevention: strengthening resilience, supporting adaptation, and fostering cooperation before vulnerabilities become crises. Effective solutions require the engagement not only of governments and international organizations, but also of informed and engaged citizens.

As students and future leaders, you will help shape the responses to these challenges in the decades ahead. But your contribution is not only a matter of the future. Young people are already helping to shape public debate, advancing innovative ideas, and encouraging institutions to think differently about complex global issues. Effective solutions emerge when the experience of older generations is combined with the creativity, energy, and perspectives of younger ones.

The discussions you have today may not solve these issues overnight, but they help develop essential qualities such as intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, empathy, and the ability to work collectively towards shared solutions.

Although multilateralism faces unprecedented challenges, there are also reasons for optimism. Recent momentum signals not withdrawal, but renewal. In his January 2026 address to the General Assembly, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to "keep working, to keep fighting, and to keep pushing for the better world that we know is possible."

As university students, you are entering a defining stage of your journey, a time when questions about your future, your ambitions, and the contribution you wish to make to society are becoming increasingly important. It is therefore particularly encouraging to see your commitment to international cooperation and the United Nations.

Thank you for being here today, and for the curiosity, energy, and commitment you bring to resolving global challenges.

I wish you a productive and inspiring discussion.

With the remaining time we have together, I would be happy to answer a few of your questions.