“Roerich Pact: History and Modernity”

Ambassador Alexey Borodavkin
Mr. Aleksey Postnikov
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the opening of this exhibition, organized by the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation and the International Centre of the Roerichs. I would like to express my appreciation to Ambassador Borodavkin and the Russian Permanent Mission for making this event possible.

As we see through this exhibition, Nicholas Roerich was a pioneer in the promotion of peace and of culture. He was a champion for the protection of cultural heritage. And the Roerich Pact - the international treaty signed in 1935 by 21 countries which enshrined his ideals - paved the way for further international agreements to preserve cultural monuments at times of war and in peace.
The ideas and thoughts of Nicholas Roerich were ahead of their time, they were directed to the future, in our era. And they will be in huge demand by the generations to come.

The Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 1954 is one of these important accords.

In a more general sense, the Roerich Pact also paved the way for much of the work of the United Nations in preserving cultural heritage. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, is a leader in this area. It recognizes the importance of creating the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values. Through its conventions on world cultural and natural heritage, governments commit to protecting culture in their own countries, as well as in others.

The Strategic Heritage Plan in the Palais des Nations is one of the examples of how the UN takes care of cultural values.
As to the Alliance of Civilizations, this unique platform operating under the auspices of the UN held its 5th Summit in Vienna and gains momentum among many states of the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As we enjoy this exhibition this evening, let us pay tribute to the genius of Nicholas Roerich. And in this spirit, I let us all recommit to the protection and promotion of cultural heritage around the world.

Thank you very much.