SPEECH BY DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNOG ON OCCASION OF UNITED NATIONS DAY 2005
Following is the speech by Sergei Ordzhonikidze, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, delivered today at Victoria Hall in Geneva on the occasion of United Nations Day 2005:
"C'est un grand privilège d’être avec vous ce soir à l'occasion de la journée des Nations Unies. Cette année marque le soixantième anniversaire de la signature de la Charte des Nations Unies et Genève est une plate-forme importante pour les célébrations. Je voudrais exprimer ma gratitude profonde au Conseil d'état de la République et du canton de Genève, le Conseil administratif de la ville de Genève, ainsi que, la Fondation d'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande pour leur accueil lors de cette soirée.
Au nom des Nations Unies, je voudrais vous remercier pour ce cadeau, qui est un symbole de l'engagement continu de la Suisse pour protéger les valeurs et les principes de notre organisation.
Sixty years ago, the founding fathers of the United Nations pledged to establish conditions of peace, and better standards of life in larger freedom. Their legacy belongs to all the peoples of the world and the United Nations has striven to fulfil those promises, through the collective efforts of the international community. Nonetheless, the world is very different today than it was sixty years ago and we face new threats and challenges.
The World Summit in New York last month provided a historic opportunity for the international community to agree on important reforms for the United Nations and reaffirm its faith in the Organization. Both rich and poor countries committed themselves to comprehensive policies in response to these challenges.
They made breakthrough progress in the areas of fighting poverty, disease, creating new machinery for peacebuilding and human rights, pledging collective action for preventing genocide and fighting terrorism. Now we stand accountable for turning our pledges into concrete actions since, like our founding fathers, we have a responsibility towards the citizens of this world and to future generations, so that they too can build on our legacies.
As a child, Beethoven made such a poor impression on his music teachers that he was pronounced hopeless as a composer. Even Haydn, who taught Beethoven harmony for some time, failed to recognize his potential. This did not discourage Beethoven and he became one of the greatest composers of all time. Tchaikovsky’s life was a mixture of sadness and depression. He used a fantasy life, which he engaged in his music, to have happiness and enjoyment. The Sixth Symphony, which was his final work, was composed during the time of his greatest grief.
Ce soir, soyons encouragés par la persévérance de Beethoven face aux défis et inspirés par le courage et l'ingéniosité de Tchaikovsky dans son désespoir. De même, ne soyons pas découragés et poursuivons nos efforts parce que nos objectifs sont atteignables et que le monde, collectivement, a les moyens de les réaliser. Merci beaucoup".
For use of the information media; not an official record
DG05036E