Film Screening “The Children of Genghis”

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

The Director-General regrets that he cannot be with us today. He sends his best regards and asked me to deliver the following remarks on his behalf and I quote:

“Ambassador Purevsuren,
Ms. Ltantsetseg,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

The cultural diplomacy programme is always a good opportunity to learn about a country, its culture, customs and values, without even boarding a plane. Today we are invited to go on a journey to Mongolia and we will be travelling on horseback.

Since the time of Genghis Khan, horses have been central to the way of life and culture of Mongolians. Horses are also a source of spiritual power in the country. Therefore, it is no surprise that they also occupy a prominent place in the national Naadam festival, a major cultural event, with the biggest celebration taking place in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, from 11 to 13 July. And Genghis Khan is very much inspiring the festivities even to this day, as nine horse tails, representing the cornerstone of the historic Mongolian Empire, are ceremonially transported to the Stadium for the opening of the Naadam festivities.

To honour this very special tradition, Naadam is inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO.

As you will witness in the film, horses continue to have a special place in the hearts and minds of the people of Mongolia. Nomads living in the traditional Mongol fashion still hold more than 3 million animals, outnumbering the country's human population. "A Mongol without a horse is like a bird without the wings", is a famous saying.

Ladies and gentlemen,
As we are discovering Mongolia with its incredible landscapes and unique ecosystems, let’s remember that natural resources provide a major source of income for the country. The sustainable use of resources is a priority for Mongolia. The country has been a unique champion in driving the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals related to the environment. Conscious of the potentially devastating effects of more frequent extreme weather events, the threats of air pollution, the degradation of soil and water and the loss of biodiversity, Mongolia has taken on the challenge and invested in green growth policies. I salute the country for those unique efforts and thank you for being a strong ally in our efforts to realize our ambitious 2030 Agenda, our joint roadmap for humanity.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Now let’s enjoy together a powerful film, made in Mongolia, and about Mongolia, its traditions, its horses and its people and their dreams. I sincerely thank Ambassador Purevsuren and the Permanent Mission of Mongolia for bringing to the Palais des Nations these images that are rarely shown on screen and thank you also for treating us to some traditional music, food and drink.

Now let’s make place for the “Children of Ghengis” and the Naadam festival competition.

Thank you all for being here with us today and please enjoy the screening”.

These were the words of the Director-General.

Thank you.