Director-General's remarks at the Beyond Vision Exhibition

“Beyond Vision” exhibition

Friday, 8 March 2024, at 1.00 p.m.
Building E, 1st floor, Bar Serpent, Palais des Nations

Delivered on behalf of the Director-General 

by Ms. Lidiya Grigoreva, Cheffe de Cabinet

Your Excellency Ambassador Bin Khothaila,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Happy International Women’s Day!

Warmest greetings from the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, who could not join us today due to her absence from Geneva. 

On her behalf, I extend our sincere appreciation to Ambassador Bin Khothaila and the Permanent Mission of Saudi Arabia for organizing this inspiring exhibition.

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his message for this year’s International Women’s Day said: “Women’s rights are a proven path to fair, peaceful, prosperous societies. It is good for us all.” 

Indeed, notable advancements have been made over the years to dismantle stereotypes and break barriers on the way to gender equality. But still, too many women and girls all over the world continue to face inequalities, injustice and discrimination. And we realize that positive changes, once achieved, need efforts to preserve them and cannot just be taken for granted. 

Equality for all is not only a fundamental human right, but also an essential pillar for a more equitable and prosperous society. Aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, investing in women’s empowerment is crucial for achieving our objectives and fostering a more peaceful future.

The UN family remains committed to encouraging progress towards equality between women and men. Geneva, the birthplace of the International Gender Champions, plays an important role in advancing gender equality both inside entities and organizations, and also in international cooperation frameworks. 

Cultural diplomacy is an important feature of our joint efforts in Geneva, and we are very pleased that today’s exhibition – “Beyond vision” – is dedicated to women and is created by a woman – and I recognize and thank the esteemed Saudi artist Professor Tibra Jameel Khusaifan, and through her let me salute the exceptional contributions of all women artists to making our world a better place. 

I look forward to discovering the exhibition, and I hope that it can inspire all of us on this International Women’s Day today. 

Thank you.