Exhibition "The UN History in Stamps"

Ambassador Borodavkin,
Ms. Shcherbakova,
Excellencies,
Dear colleagues and friends:

It is my privilege to represent the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Mr. Michael Møller, who very much regrets that he cannot be here with you today. He has asked me to deliver a message in support of this important exhibition.

The message goes as follows:

“A very warm welcome to you all for the opening of the exhibition “The UN History in Stamps”, showcasing just a small part of the vast stamp collection of Anatoly Karpov. Mr. Karpov holds many prestigious titles, from chess grandmaster and world champion, to a Member of Parliament, to UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador, to a respected public figure in his native Russia and in the world.

At the outset, I would like to thank Ambassador Borodavkin and the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation as well as the Russian Cultural Seasons for making this event possible. Russia has generously shared its rich cultural and historical heritage with International Geneva through UNOG’s Cultural Activities Programme on a great number of occasions. I had the privilege to welcome for the first time stars of the Bolshoi Opera to the Palais des Nations last week, and I look forward to many more cultural events to be staged by our organizers.

Every stamp tells a story. They reveal the spirit of a nation, and serve as a testament to the great moments of our shared history. Stamps connect us to the remotest corners of the world. They are a window onto the traditions, cultures and visions of a civilization. The United Nations recognizes the value of the postage stamp as a means to convey the Charter’s goals and achievements to the world community.

Since its creation in 1951, the United Nations Postal Administration has issued over one thousand stamps which highlight fundamental global issues such as peace and security, human rights, economic and social development, and environment. Anatoly Karpov’s unique collection is a celebration of the past seventy years of the United Nations history. It is a vibrant showcase of our Member States and of landmark UN events. Should Anatoly Karpov be willing to come to UNOG for a chess exhibition event, many Geneva-based permanent missions, including colleagues from the Secretariat, would certainly be honoured to show off their chess skills in a match with the legendary player.

This exhibition is a fitting tribute to the seventieth anniversary of our Organization. It is a welcome opportunity to take stock of our achievements, as traced by the memorable images immortalized in these stamps. It is also a welcome occasion to take pride in what we, as the community of nations, have built over these decades. It is finally a welcome reason for us to get more committed to and inspired by what the United Nations Organization stands for.

Thank you very much.”

That was the end of the Director-General’s message.

I join him in wishing you a very successful event.

Thank you.