“Robert Capa 100”

Deputy State Secretary Takács
Ambassador Dékány
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the opening of this exhibition featuring the iconic photography of Robert Capa. My utmost thanks to the Government of Hungary for bringing the work of such a renowned photographer to the Palais des Nations. I am very pleased that His Excellency Mr. Takács is here with us to officially open the exhibition – it is an honour to welcome you to Geneva.

One of the greatest war photographers of our time, Robert Capa was also a migrant. Born into a Jewish family in 1913, he left his native Hungary at age seventeen and followed a winding path that took him first to Germany, then France and later the United States.

His story is in many ways that of a typical migrant, and in so many other ways, that of an exceptional one. Indeed, migrants – Robert Capa included - serve as bridges between countries of origin and countries of destination. They are conduits of innovation, information and cultural exchange and human and economic development. They embody the spirit and essence of diversity and multiculturalism.

It could be argued that this experience greatly influenced the photographs of Robert Capa. He artfully chronicled the full spectrum of the emotions of war, from the pain of the front lines and in war-ravaged cities to the joy of liberation. He also recorded people's attempts to retain a sense of normality during war, and often focused on what happened off the battlefield. These images touch us in their universality. While they capture conflicts of the past, they very well could be taken today, in some of the world’s most troubled conflict zones.

We see all of this in this striking exhibition, which I am pleased to showcase here in Geneva - an active hub for work on migration, human rights and building peace.

Thank you very much.