Director-General's remarks at the 7th edition of the Introduction programme to UN Geneva for new Diplomats

Introduction to UN Geneva for Diplomats – 7th edition
Tuesday, 28 October, at 9.30 a.m.
Room S4, Palais des Nations

Excellencies, 
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 7th edition of our introduction programme about UN Geneva for newly arrived diplomats.

Today, we are gathering in the newly opened S Building as the Strategic Heritage Plan (SHP) has progressed to the E Building, as well as the Library B Building, where this session usually takes place. The renovations are moving ahead with speed, starting with a spectacular removal of some 37 km of books for safe storage. Nevertheless, we continue our work, also aligning with the Secretary-General’s UN80 Initiative.  This session offers a space open to learning and knowledge sharing around the ever-essential topics of international cooperation and multilateralism.

Let me take this opportunity to thank colleagues from the Library & Archives and other services for their work in curating this programme, which is designed to help you understand the different services at UN Geneva, and what we offer to support you in your work.

The Palais des Nations was designed at the time of the League of Nations as a place for multilateralism – a tradition that is firmly established as we continually move forward with an adaptive United Nations.

Surrounded by this long heritage from which we can draw inspiration, we collaborate in the Palais as UN Geneva staff members, diplomats, civil society representatives, academics, journalists and many other actors of International Geneva. Some the meaningful impact of this work is illustrated in our new exhibition “Shared Lives, Shared Future” celebrating eight decades of collective action, showcasing more than 200 stories from 193 countries. I encourage you to visit the exhibition in the Salle des Pas Perdus today or visit it online.

The Palais des Nations hosts over 8,500 meetings every year and has a diverse ecosystem of actors working on a wide range of topics including peace and development, human rights and health, digital cooperation and humanitarian assistance, to name but a few.

The Palais is a special place where partnerships are forged, synergies are developed, and concrete innovative solutions are found, further contributing to the inclusive multilateralism we need to face today’s global challenges and escalating tensions. We just issued our 2024 Annual Report, which I encourage you to consult and learn more about our work.

Only by working together can we find common solutions to our challenges. The Palais and staff working here provide an environment and tools in support of international cooperation to pave the way towards a more sustainable, fairer and more inclusive future for all.

Excellencies, 
Ladies and gentlemen,

I encourage you to take this opportunity to network with your fellow diplomatic community and to ask as many questions as you need, our team is here to support you.

I wish you a fruitful induction programme and all the best in your new work in Geneva.

Thank you.