Director-General's remarks at the Event "Happy Spring Festival: Celebrating Together as a Family"

Event “Happy Spring Festival: Celebrating Together as a Family”
Wednesday, 12 February 2025, at 12:30 p.m.
Mezzanine, Building E, Palais des Nations

Ambassador Chen Xu,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Palais des Nations for the celebration of the Spring Festival, a cherished tradition symbolizing renewal, unity, and hope. I extend my sincere gratitude to the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China for organizing this splendid event.

The Spring Festival, or Lunar New Year, is one of the world’s most significant celebrations. It is a time to honor traditions, strengthen familial bonds, and anticipate a year of prosperity and harmony. These values resonate deeply with the mission of the United Nations, which strives to foster global peace, solidarity, and shared progress.

In the Year of the Snake, we are reminded of the profound symbolism this creature represents in the Chinese culture – wisdom, intelligence, and strategic thinking. The snake embodies qualities of patience, careful planning, and the ability to navigate complex challenges with grace and precision – all values that are urgently needed in an intricate and tense geopolitical context and interconnected global landscape.

The United Nations recognizes that cultural celebrations are more than traditions – they are bridges of understanding, pathways to mutual respect and powerful expressions of our collective human experience. This recognition has been formalized in recent years. In 2023, the UN General Assembly acknowledged the Spring Festival as a UN floating holiday, and in 2024, UNESCO added “Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional New Year” to the Intangible Cultural Heritage list, underscoring its cultural importance. These actions reflect our dedication to celebrating cultural diversity as a fundamental human right.

At the United Nations Office at Geneva, we take pride in fostering dialogue and mutual understanding among cultures, especially through the United Nations Geneva Cultural Activities Programme. Events like this exemplify the power of cultural diplomacy in bridging differences and uniting people. They embody the spirit of multilateralism – celebrating diversity while reinforcing our shared aspirations for a better future.

Through initiatives such as this one, China has emphasized the importance of intercultural dialogue, mutual learning and multilateralism – principles that are crucial to the work of the United Nations. Today, we gather not merely to celebrate the Spring Festival, but to affirm our shared commitment to multilateral cooperation.

As we gather today, let us celebrate not only the arrival of a new year but also the enduring friendship between nations, the power of cultural exchange, and our collective commitment to a world where all can thrive together.

I wish you all a Happy and Prosperous Spring Festival!

Xīnnián kuàilè! (Happy New Year!)

Thank you.