Director-General's message for the opening of the Cultural Exchange Event "Echoes of War, Vision of Peace"

Cultural Exchange Event
“Echoes of War, Vision of Peace” by the China Media Group
Tuesday, 26 August 2025
Liverpool, United Kingdom

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Greetings from the United Nations Office at Geneva for the opening of the cultural exchange event “Echoes of War, Vision of Peace”. I thank the China Media Group for organizing this significant event.

This year, we mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War – the most devastating chapter in human history, claiming more than 70 million lives. Behind this staggering number were broken destinies, families torn apart and generations marked by deep loss.

The people of China, together with many other nations, made profound sacrifices in this war. Their courage was shown not only in the War of Resistance, but also on other fronts, including the Atlantic, where Chinese sailors played a vital role on merchant vessels. Between 14 and 20 million Chinese lives were lost, and over 35 million people were wounded. These deeds, alongside those of other nations fighting against the Axis powers, built a new world order based on freedom, equality and collective security. In recognition of this, China became a founding member of the United Nations and a permanent member of the Security Council, entrusted with a special responsibility for peace.

This milestone is also personal for me. My family, like millions of others, took part in the fight against fascism, demonstrating courage and faith in a better future. Preserving this memory and passing it on to future generations is our duty, as the lessons of the war remain crucial today and will be just as important tomorrow.

The victory in 1945 was possible because nations overcame divisions and forged solidarity. From that unity, the United Nations was born - founded on dialogue, political will, and a sense of shared responsibility. For 80 years, the Organization has advanced peace, development and human rights. It has deployed peacekeepers to lower the risk of renewed conflict, provided humanitarian aid and helped lift more than a billion out of extreme poverty. It also improved global health, provided food for millions and united the world on climate action.

Yet today, we face new dangers – political, economic, social and technological. Protectionism, digital incompatibility and mistrust, rising inequalities, nuclear risk and terrorism threaten global stability.

And still, the United Nations remains the world’s only universal forum where nations come together on the basis of equality, sovereignty, and collective security. To meet today’s challenges, the Organization must continue to adapt, which is why the UN Secretary-General launched the UN80 initiative to streamline our operations, sharpen our impact and reaffirm the UN’s relevance for a rapidly changing world.

As a global center of multilateral diplomacy, the United Nations Office at Geneva works every day to turn differences into shared solutions, through diplomacy, cooperation and cultural exchanges.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Peace is never guaranteed. It depends on the choices we make every day – on dialogue over division, unity over fragmentation, cooperation over conflict.

Let us honour the past by building together a future of peace and solidarity.

Thank you.