Director-General's remarks at the United Nations Women's Guild Bazaar 2024

United Nations Women’s Guild Bazaar 2024

Tuesday, 19 November 2024 at 10.30 a.m.

Building E, Palais des Nations

Honorary President [Ambassador Lauber],

Chairperson of the Bazar [Ambassador Zniber],

Dear Members of the UN Women’s Guild,

Excellencies, 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends, 

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to the opening of the 2024 International Bazaar, organized by the United Nations Women’s Guild. Each year we are privileged to be able to enjoy the cultural festivities and gastronomic specialties prepared by our international community here in Geneva. 

I wish to thank the Organizing Committee of the Women’s Guild, their partners, and all participating countries for contributing, once again, to making this Bazaar such an enriching and joyful experience.

Initiatives such as this Bazaar celebrate diversity, facilitate communication and understanding between cultures and communities, and promote peace and social cohesion. Faced with a turbulent world that is seeing increasing mistrust and misinformation, these collective acts of solidarity are needed more than ever. 

Furthermore, the funds raised during the Bazaar will finance projects around the world, especially for those in vulnerable circumstances. Proceeds will be used to support programmes and actions that enable children in need to receive quality education and improve their access to food, health care, and housing. This spirit of cooperation and humanitarian action is very much in line with the values of the United Nations and International Geneva, and I applaud the work of the Women’s Guild in this field.

This focus on improving the lives of children around the world also echoes the Pact for the Future, agreed to by Member States in September, in which they commit to invest in the social and economic development of children and young people so that they can reach their full potential, among other-youth focused commitments. We clearly all agree that the rights and well-being of children and young people around the world are of the utmost priority.

In the Pact, world leaders also recommitted to the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, noting that this is crucial to progress across all of the Sustainable Development Goals. For this we need “all hands on deck”, including the engagement of men. So I am very pleased that again this year the Women’s Guild and the Bazaar have the full support of two esteemed men: Ambassador Lauber and Ambassador Zniber. Thank you, your excellencies, for your commitment to action on gender equality. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are very fortunate to have this opportunity every year to experience and appreciate music, food and crafts from across the globe, right here in Geneva. I encourage you to soak up the colours, savour new tastes, enjoy the celebratory ambience, and spend money - all for a good cause. 

Once again, I thank the Women’s Guild for organizing this wonderful event, and their partners for supporting the Bazaar, which is always a highlight of the year here at UNOG. I hope you will all enjoy this cultural exchange.