Director-General's remarks for the Ecolint Students’ League of Nations General Assembly

Opening of the Ecolint Students’ League of Nations General Assembly

Wednesday, 11 December 2024 at 9.30 a.m.

Room XIX, Palais des Nations

Delivered on behalf of the Director-General by Ms. Kira Kruglikova, Director, Division of Administration, United Nations Office at Geneva

Dear students, 

Dear teachers,

Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, who could not join us today, it is my pleasure to welcome you all to the Palais des Nations and congratulate the École Internationale de Genève (Ecolint) on the remarkable milestone of 100 years of fostering understanding, respect, and leadership.

The Ecolint is celebrating 100 years and the UN will be celebrating 80 years in 2025. As many of you know, the United Nations, founded in 1945, was born from the collective will of nations to promote peace, prevent wars, protect human rights, and build a better world. The UN Charter is a landmark document, embodying humanity’s shared values, hopes and aspirations to build a better world from the ashes of World War II. The United Nations and the international order based on multilateralism, international law and friendly relations between states are rooted in this Charter. 

I want to pause briefly here to remark upon the difference in gender balance between the negotiating room in 1945 and the room of young people I see in front of me today. When the United Nations was created, the topic of gender equality in international politics was quite marginal and the presence of women at the negotiating table was rare. For example, in 1945, only four out of 850 delegates at the San Francisco Conference were women. But their participation was meaningful: thanks to these four female delegates, the principle of equal rights for men and women was proclaimed in the Preamble of the UN Charter as one of the basic principles of the Organization.

Since then, the international community has come a long way in affirming the rights of women around the world. Indeed, the United Nations has been the catalyst for significant social development and progress across various domains. In addition to improving women’s rights, the United Nations has overseen the eradication of deadly diseases, the widespread dissemination of education, a reduction in poverty, the prevention of conflicts, the upholding of human rights, and more.

Our global context has also changed a lot since the UN Charter was adopted in 1945, though. We all know that, in 2024, our world faces turbulent times: we are seeing global economic insecurity, growing violent conflicts and nuclear threats, record levels of humanitarian needs, ever-more pressing consequences of climate change, deepening inequalities, increasing mistrust and misinformation, and more. These challenges have put the multilateral system – which has the United Nations at its core – to the test. 

The United Nations remains the place where all the world’s nations can gather, discuss common problems, and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity. But the global community can do better. We must do better. We need an updated system of international cooperation that is fairer, more inclusive, and more effective.

To this end, in September, global leaders met in New York at the Summit of the Future and adopted the Pact for the Future to transform global governance. This was the culmination of an inclusive, years-long process to adapt international cooperation – including the United Nations – to the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow.

The Pact is the most wide-ranging international agreement in many years. It covers a number of issues, including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance. 

The Pact aims, above all, to ensure that international institutions can deliver in the face of a world that has changed dramatically since they were created. In the words of the UN Secretary-General: “We cannot create a future fit for our grandchildren with a system built by our grandparents”.

For example, the Pact includes the most progressive and concrete commitment to Security Council reform since the 1960s, with plans to improve the effectiveness and representativeness of the Council, including by redressing the historical under-representation of Africa as a priority. 

The Pact also includes an agreement to strengthen international frameworks that govern outer space, including a clear commitment to prevent an arms race in outer space; steps to avoid the weaponization and misuse of new technologies, such as lethal autonomous weapons. But also a path to reform the international financial architecture so that it better represents and serves developing countries. And, finally, a commitment to more meaningful opportunities for young people to participate in the decisions that shape their lives, especially at the global level. And I will speak more about the engagement of young people in a moment.

There are also two annexes to the Pact: Global Digital Compact, which is the first comprehensive global framework for digital cooperation and AI governance, and the first-ever Declaration on Future Generations, which contains concrete steps to take account of future generations in our decision-making.

Furthermore, the entire Pact is designed to accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. On climate change specifically, it confirms the need to keep global temperature rise to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and to transition away from fossil fuels in the energy systems to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

I would like to elaborate on the UN Office at Geneva where you have gathered today. Originally constructed as the headquarters for the League of Nations, the Palais des Nations has been at the centre of diplomacy for nearly a century. It embodies the evolution of multilateralism from the League of Nations to the present-day United Nations. Since 1946, the Palais has been home to the United Nations Office at Geneva – the representative Office of the UN Secretary-General.

Its core functions focus on the provision of services to support multilateral diplomacy. UNOG plays a leading role in fostering and enabling collaboration with and among Member States, civil society, academia and other actors, and supporting intergovernmental processes. Many high-level delegations gather here every year to participate in bilateral exchanges, meetings, and conferences. Among them are meetings of the Human Rights Council – currently in session, the annual session of the International Labour Conference, and of the World Health Assembly. The regular sessions of the Conference on Disarmament, as well as the Review Conferences of some disarmament treaties (Biological Weapons Convention, Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, Convention on Cluster Munitions – with meeting of the States Parties starting today) are also being held here. In 2023, UNOG hosted and serviced 8,478 meetings, which makes us one of the busiest UN duty stations in the world in terms of conference management.

The commitment of our Host Country – Switzerland - to neutrality in international relations, coupled with Geneva’s infrastructure and favourable conditions for multilateral relations, make UNOG a unique venue to bring together parties to negotiate ceasefires and peace agreements. Over the past several years, we hosted and facilitated various meetings in support of UN-led peace initiatives in Syria, Libya, Georgia, Cyprus and Yemen. Most recently, in July 2024, the Palais des Nations hosted a round of UN-led talks between Sudan’s warring parties. UNOG also fosters partnerships for peacebuilding with several initiatives, including the annual Geneva Peace Week – which provides a unique platform to share knowledge and practice on a diverse range of topics related to peace across contexts and disciplines. 

UNOG is also the centre of the history of multilateralism, its memory, and, more broadly, a hub of knowledge. UNOG is home to the largest library on multilateralism and international law in the world. Its collections span almost 50 linear kilometres and provide access to millions of digital references. The historical archives of the League of Nations are also kept at the Palais des Nations available online, free of charge. Thanks to a recent digitization project, researchers from all over the world have an opportunity to deepen their understanding of multilateralism through various documents of the League of Nations. 

Young people - like you all - play a central role in shaping the future. With a passion for innovation and the power to raise awareness, you are uniquely positioned to rethink paradigms and drive meaningful change. The Pact for the Future emphasizes youth as a transformative force in addressing challenges you are going to discuss today. 

Your General Assembly simulation today mirrors the real challenges and complexities faced by global leaders. By stepping into the roles of negotiators, you are honing the skills needed to bridge divides, foster understanding and drive change. You will also try to tackle pressing issues, such as the impacts of sea-level rise, the importance of renewable energy, and the protection of human lives in conflict zones. These challenges demand the very skills you will practice today: listening, understanding other perspectives, and finding common ground. 

As a hub for multilateral diplomacy, dialogue and innovation, the United Nations Office at Geneva is committed to empowering young minds. Your voices and ideas give us a hope for a more equitable, peaceful and sustainable world. We aim to strengthen your engagement with multilateralism through youth-focused initiatives like:

• the Young Activists Summit, which honours and celebrates remarkable young activists from around the world; 
• the Graduate Study Programme, an intensive two-week summer seminar that provides an opportunity for participants to deepen their understanding of the United Nations and “International Geneva” through first-hand observations, lectures, group work, and networking;
• Young Reporters at the UN, in which we open our doors to high school students interested in international affairs to engage with experts from different organizations in a press briefing setting.

These initiatives are not only opportunities for you to learn but also platforms for the UN to incorporate your views into our work. 

Here, between these walls that have seen so many leaders of the past, I want to emphasize to you that you can be the leaders not just of tomorrow, but of today. You are a great source of inspiration for the United Nations, and we need your courage and determination more than ever.

When I look at this room filled with bright, young minds, I am filled with hope towards a brighter future. Your choices and actions can steer the course towards a better world for everyone, everywhere. 

I wish you well for your exciting and engaging day ahead. 

Thank you.