“Faces of Geneva”

Ambassador Fasel
Deputy Permanent Representative Mulrean
Mr. Fassbind
Excellencies
Ladies and gentlemen:

It is my pleasure to welcome you this evening to the opening of the exhibition “Faces of Geneva”, or “Visages de Genève”. I would like to first express my appreciation to the Permanent Mission of the United States of America for making this event possible and for introducing us all to the work of Mr. Fassbind. The portraits by this very talented photographer truly reflect the international nature of our host city and canton of Geneva. And where better to showcase them than the Palais des Nations, home to the United Nations Office at Geneva.


Multiculturalism, diversity, respect for differences, cross-cultural communication – these are our bread and butter here at the United Nations. The staff of UNOG alone - around 1,600 people - is made up of 115 different nationalities. In my own office, we have just 21 staff members, yet there are 14 nationalities represented. Every day, despite cultural and linguistic diversity, we do work as one team - we speak one voice. We get inspiration from the guidance of the founding fathers of the UN as well as from the host country Switzerland, which is an excellent example of unity in diversity.

What we like to refer to as ‘International Geneva’ is one of our greatest assets. It is home to more than 35 UN entities, of which more than 20 are headquarters. These bodies and their partners, as well as non-governmental organizations and the research and academic community, are active in fields as varied as humanitarian aid, trade, human rights, sustainable development, training and education, peacekeeping and security, meteorology, intellectual property, nuclear research, health, telecommunications and labour.

And this does not even include the work of the diplomatic community or private sector – two of Geneva’s most indispensible communities. It is clear that by building on the rich presence of such different stakeholders, creative and innovative solutions to global challenges have and will be found.

Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is incredible how these photographs simultaneously capture the individual spirit of the subjects, the spirit of the Geneva community, and in a way – the spirit of the United Nations itself. It is through these ‘Faces of Geneva’ that we further appreciate the vibrant, international community in which we live and work. And it is also through these diverse ‘Faces of Geneva’ that we see our common humanity.

Thank you very much and I wish you a good evening.