Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations Graduation and Honorary Degree Award Ceremony

Mr. President of the Geneva School of Diplomacy and
International Relations, Colum de Sales Murphy
Ambassador Oğuz Demiralp
Former Vice-President Mr. Atiku Abubakar
Dear Graduates and Families

Thank you for this prestigious degree, which is very special to me. I promise you that I will continue to be committed to our work together and to the mission of the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations.

I also congratulate my fellow honorary degree recipients. These degrees are a most deserved acknowledgement of your achievements and I am privileged to share this honour with you.

Today, I want to speak to you about choices... the choices we make every day and the choices we make for our long-term future together.

Former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld once said: “Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find the right road.” As you now take the next step into your futures, I hope you also keep your eyes fixed on the far horizon – on the future that you wish to shape in the medium to long term, over decades To build that future, you will need to make choices in the short term.

It is my wish for you, the graduates of today, that you will make wise choices in this process. We of the older generation are used to teaching the younger generations. But today we are also learning from you, with new technology and approaches. It is a mutual exchange.

By coming to Geneva and by choosing what to study, you have already made choices – and I believe that you have made wise choices. Geneva is a key multilateral hub, with the largest presence of United Nations entities outside of our Headquarters in New York, together with a multitude of other international organizations, a vibrant civil society, a cutting-edge research community and a dynamic private sector. Through your studies, you have experienced first-hand the new type of global governance that is taking shape here in Geneva where many stakeholders come together to work across institutional and thematic boundaries. It is my hope that this experience of a new way of doing business in international affairs, freed from rigid moulds and traditional thinking, will inspire and guide you.

Let me highlight four key areas where I believe that the international community needs to make some key strategic choices to build a sustainable future, in this new form of global governance.

First, prevention. It is a truism to say that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. But it is still a lesson that we have not fully learned at the international level.

Earlier this month, the High Commissioner for Refugees reported that more than 45 million people are refugees or internally displaced. That is more people than at any time since 1994. During 2012 alone, 7.6 million people became newly displaced. This translates into a new refugee or internally displaced person every four seconds. War remains the dominant cause. These alarming numbers reflect a failure of the international community to prevent conflicts and promote timely solutions.

The United Nations has made important strides in sharpening the focus on prevention, and backing promises with concrete action. In peacekeeping, the incorporation of mandates for the protection of civilians, and for early warning and early response, have enhanced the prevention and proactive capabilities of our missions. As one example, in South Sudan, our peacekeeping mission has played a critical role in containing the situation, locking opposing parties into dialogue.

The work of Special Envoys, the establishment of regional offices in Central Asia, West Africa and Central Africa, the creation of rapidly-deployable mediation expertise, and the provision of electoral assistance in complex transitions, have all helped to keep tensions from escalating in many contexts. Developments in Kenya, Kyrgyzstan and Cote d’Ivoire are examples of how the increased attention to prevention has paid dividends.

But, from Mali to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic, we are reminded on a daily basis that our strategies for prevention are still inadequate. In Syria, the numbers speak their own clear language: since March 2011, the conflict has claimed more than 93,000 lives and sent some 1.5 million people fleeing for safety to neighbouring countries.

We have already chosen to make prevention a priority but the question now is how to strengthen it further. We need to reinforce early warning capacity, strengthen support for transition processes, advance disarmament and deepen our partnerships. This requires both sustained attention and adequate funding.

Second, development. Technology and science, coupled with political commitment and strong policies, have helped to set millions on the path towards a better life. The Millennium Development Goals have provided both a powerful advocacy tool and a practical policy framework for action. The 13 years since the adoption of the Goals have seen the fastest reduction in poverty in human history: there are now half a billion fewer people living below the international poverty line of 1.25 dollars a day.

But, we have a long way to go. The 1.2 billion poorest people account for only 1 per cent of world consumption. In contrast, the richest billion consume 72 per cent. In a world that has the technology to feed all, one in eight people still go to bed hungry. 57 million children are not in school. According to UNICEF, a young girl in South Sudan is three times more likely to die in childbirth than she is to get eight years of basic education. Each one of these statistics represents a personal tragedy for those affected. For us, the international community, they represent an immense opportunity cost. We need to reflect on these trends together. You, as leaders of tomorrow, need to be engaged in that process.

Clearly, we must choose sustainable development that preserves our resources and protects our planet. And, here again, the United Nations has already chosen to do so.
Climate change is not only a threat to development, but also risks undermining stability in many countries. Extreme weather events cost trillion of dollars and destroy lives and livelihoods.

The current discussions on the development framework that is to be put in place after the MDGs in 2015 provide an opportunity for choices – for sustainable choices. We need the ideas and innovation of young leaders - you, today’s graduates – to make this a strong platform that can provide all people – regardless of background – with opportunities to realize their potential.

Third, democratization. When the United Nations was founded, fewer than 20 countries in the world could be characterized as democracies. Now, according to The Economist’s Democracy Index, half of the world lives under a democracy of some form.

We have witnessed how people are standing up for their right to shape their countries and futures through democracy. People speak out, often risking their own lives, for an end to corruption, for justice and respect for human rights, and for a fair share of political power.

So, change is sweeping many countries. But, these are fragile processes. They have to be home-grown and reflect national aspirations.

We need to be conscious that elections do not necessarily equate to democratization; they are part of a broader process. If we are to avoid sectarian and other divisions, we need an inclusive, bottom-up approach. Democracy is not a zero-sum game. It is defined by the art of compromise, and the very delicate science of making choices in a peaceful manner.

Four, empowerment of women and youth. We cannot hope to build a better world by depriving ourselves of the potential of a large part of our human family.

Far too often, women continue to have unequal access to education, health care, employment and political decision-making. According to some estimates, women represent 70 percent of the world’s poor. Eight out of ten women workers are considered to be in vulnerable employment in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Yet, research clearly shows that increasing women’s economic options boosts national economies.

Our ability to achieve the first three key objectives – prevention, development and democratization – will depend on the fourth: whether we choose to empower women and youth

Dear Graduates:

The world is capable of tremendous and positive change. And as you go forward, it will not just be the choices of institutions such as the United Nations that make that change happen. It will be your own choices.

Let me give you an example of how much the world has changed. When I was a student at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, I had to go to the post office and wait one hour to place a phone call to my home country. Now we all have mobile phones. We now live in a world with over 7 billion mobile phones in use.

At the same time, there are new lines of division in our world and controversial trends. It is my hope for you that you will be proactive in solving these pressing problems of international relations.

Once again, I congratulate you and wish you all best for your future.