Exhibition "What does peace look like?"

Mr. Almuzaini,
Ambassador Hajnoczi,
Mr. Lammerhuber,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen:

A very warm welcome to you all for the opening of the photography exhibition, “What does peace look like?”, which is a very personal tribute to visions and dreams of peace as captured through the lens of artists from all four corners of the world. Today’s event marks the opening of the Geneva Peace Week, a week-long series of meetings and discussions that highlight the role each and every one of us plays in building peace and resolving conflicts. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the UNESCO Geneva Liaison Office, the Permanent Mission of Austria and the Alfred Fried Photography Award for bringing this exhibition to the Palais des Nations.

Maintenance of international peace and security is at the heart of the mandate and mission of the United Nations. Our Organization works every day around the globe to build sustainable peace. This work is being performed by 16 peacekeeping operations across the world, by 11 peacebuilding and political missions, by the UN Peacebuilding Commission and Support Office, by UN agencies, funds and programmes, by partnerships with Member States, civil society and regional organizations, by the Conference on Disarmament here in Geneva – just to name a few.

As this exhibition testifies, peace is a deeply personal notion. It is not just the absence of war. It is not easily defined or explained. For some of us, peace is access to quality education or work, it is equality and justice for all, or a clean and safe planet for our children. Peace comes in many forms, shapes and meanings based on our individual perceptions and backgrounds. It is for this reason that building and maintaining peace is a very complex and multifaceted undertaking, especially as we face new threats and challenges such as terrorism and violent extremism, climate change, prolonged conflict or finding a response to the world’s refugee crisis.

As we mark our Organization’s 70th anniversary year, it is more important than ever that we recommit ourselves to finding new and creative solutions to ensuring human security and a more peaceful world for all. Maintaining peace can only prevail in a holistic manner, drawing on the resources available from governments, civil society and the private sector. There is no doubt that International Geneva offers multiple resources for the promotion of peace, as a global hub for international cooperation and multilateral diplomacy.

With our world becoming ever more interdependent, it is hearting to note from these pictures that every person continues to be unique in their aspirations and visions of peace and a better world. They are yet another incentive for all of us to give our best for them to be enduring realities rather than fleeting moments captured on camera.

Thank you.