Photo Exhibition “Breathtaking Russia”

Ambassador Borodavkin,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen:

What would be needed to really take your breath away? Falling from an air plane with a parachute on your back? Eternal landscapes covered in ice and snow? Participating in a cultural ritual that makes you jump over fire?

Extreme sports. The powers of nature. Peoples’ cultural diversity. Today’s exhibition “Breathtaking Russia” shows us that Russia can be breathtaking in many different ways. The photos have been contributed by photographers, both amateur and professional, from all across the country, participating in the competition “Best of Russia”, organized, as every year, by the Foundation Winzavod Centre for Comtemporary Art with support from the Ministry of Culture in the Russian Federation. The Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation and the UN Global Compact Network Russia have taken the joint initiative to bring this impressive photo exhibition to the Palais des Nations and I sincerely thank you for that!

Let me also warmly welcome all of you who came to Geneva to participate in the Forum on Business and Human Rights which starts today. It is the world’s largest gathering of its kind and brings together the most committed - human rights defenders, community and workers’ organizations, civil society, governments, business associations, companies, lawyers and investors. They all are ready to share their experiences on promoting corporate respect for human rights, and they are eager to learn from others.

Every year the Forum is an impressive account of how business is very much in the driver’s seat when it comes to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including its cross-cutting human rights aspects. Many businesses have long understood that investing in the SDGs makes good business sense. Not only because companies operate within the very environment the SDGs seek to protect and sustain, but also because achieving the SDGs is expected to open up at least USD 12 trillion in market opportunities.

Investments of this size are small when compared with what we have to gain: safeguarding the beauty of our planet and its cultural diversity both of which are so exquisitely depicted in the images on display in this exhibition. Our joint investment will help us to make sure that we can receive such breathtaking images of our amazing planet also in the competitions next year, in 10 years and beyond.

For me, it would be truly breathtaking if 13 years from now, in 2030, we could say that we have stood together as business, government, civil society and as every single human being and that we have achieved our ambitious goals and targets. We know what to do, thanks to our joint Road Map, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It’s about the choices we make today. This exhibition gives us the right motivation and vision, it reminds us about why it’s worth our efforts.

Thank you for being with us today on this very special occasion. Please enjoy the exhibit.

Thank you.