Director-General's remarks at the Opening of the Exhibition “The UN@80: Shared Lives, Shared Future”

Opening of the Exhibition “The UN@80: Shared Lives, Shared Future”
Friday, 24 October 2025 at 12.00 p.m.
Salle des Pas Perdus, Palais des Nations

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear colleagues,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you today to the opening of this remarkable exhibition, “The UN@80: Shared Lives, Shared Future.”

As we mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, this exhibition reminds us that the UN is not an abstract institution: it is a living story, woven through the daily lives of people in every corner of the world.

I would like to thank the Department of Global Communications and the Permanent Missions of Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland in New York for co-organizing this initiative, and I recognize the presence of their Geneva counterparts here – thank you very much for your commitment to bringing the UN’s story closer to people everywhere.

The 27 stories you will see here - and the more than 200 mini-stories collected from all 193 Member States that you can see online on our website - show that the work of the United Nations is, above all, about people. We are pleased to have two of these inspiring individuals here today — Yasmine and Yves — who will soon tell us how the United Nations has made a difference in their work.  These are stories of peacekeepers, scientists, teachers, entrepreneurs, farmers and citizens from all over the world whose lives have been touched, often in invisible ways, by the UN’s work for peace, sustainable development and human rights.

Because the truth is: the UN is part of our daily lives, often without our realizing it. When we check the weather before leaving home, we rely on data coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization.

When we make a phone call or use GPS, we depend on standards set by the International Telecommunication Union and the International Civil Aviation Organization. When we mail a letter, read a food label, or fasten our seat belt, we should recognize the work of the UN Economic Commission for Europe, the Universal Postal Union and many other agencies that are setting norms and protecting people.

When a child receives a vaccine, or when clean water reaches a community for the first time, the UN is often there — sometimes behind the scenes, yet changing lives every day.

When humanitarian aid is delivered to people after a flood, earthquake, or conflict, the UN is again part of that response. You may not always see it, but in countless ways you are a witness to the UN’s presence and value in our daily lives.

This exhibition brings the unseen to light, humanizes our work, and highlights the support we provide to those we serve around the globe. It invites us to rediscover the value of multilateralism, not as a distant ideal, but as something that shapes our shared humanity every single day.

At a time when misinformation and mistrust challenge international cooperation, these stories serve as powerful reminders that the United Nations belongs to all of us. It is us, We the Peoples. Working together to make our interconnected world safer, fairer, and more sustainable.

As this exhibition travels from Geneva to Warsaw, Canberra, Ankara, and many more cities around the world, may it continue to inspire reflection and pride in what we have built together. And in what we can still achieve through unity and hope.

I am also pleased to inform you that today we are launching the 2024 UN Geneva Annual Report, “Restoring trust”. The report is a testament to the challenges and achievements of 2024, as well as to our efforts to restore trust in multilateralism and accelerate our work towards a more peaceful, just and sustainable world, as evidenced here in this beautiful exhibition. Some copies in both English and French are available here and it can also be found on our website.

Thank you.