“The 20th Edition of Geneva International Model United Nations Annual Conference 2019” by the Geneva International Model United Nations (GIMUN)

Ms. Valdés (GIMUN President),
Dear students and friends:

A very warm welcome to the Palais des Nations for the opening of the 20th edition of the GIMUN Annual Conference.

This International Model UN Conference has been going strong for 20 years - a remarkably long stretch for an organization run by students who have to study in parallel to putting this project together. An event that brings together about 300 young people from around the world is quite an accomplishment. And the diversity of the participants reflects the spirit of the United Nations.

I congratulate GIMUN with this significant anniversary. My office at Geneva is pleased to continue opening the doors of the Palais des Nations to you.

Let me also congratulate all the participants of this anniversary event, who joined as Ambassadors, delegates, journalists or interpreters. I commend your talents, your interest in international relations, your motivation to participate, and your commitment to make this event - this immersion into the world of international cooperation - a success.

You are here to gain practical experience of multilateralism as an essential tool for ensuring cooperation, working together on peace and security, economic sustainability, as well as promoting and protecting human rights.

This year, the UN and other international organizations in Geneva are actively celebrating the 100 years Anniversary of Multilateral Diplomacy in Geneva to mark the Centenary of the founding of the League of Nations, the UN’s predecessor. The agreement at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 to establish the League of Nations was a new model of international cooperation, with the aim of achieving long-lasting and global peace. From disarmament to the protection of minorities and refugees, from international justice to working conditions, the League of Nations formed the foundation of the multilateral system that we know today. Most of people think of the League of Nations as failure but it is in fact a fundamental pillar for the UN.

With the United Nations at its heart, the modern multilateral system has contributed considerably towards peace, rights and well-being over the last seven decades. An extraordinary progress in our lives is directly linked to international cooperation. The period since the end of the Second World War – since the creation of the United Nations - has been marked by incredible technological progress, global economic growth and improvement in basic social indicators. As a result, almost everywhere on the planet, a person born today will be less likely to grow up in extreme poverty; less likely to remain illiterate; less likely to die of diseases or to be killed in a war than at any time in human history.

Throughout its seven decades of existence, the UN has addressed multiple global challenges. We are proud of our achievements in keeping peace, saving people’s lives and improving their conditions through international cooperation in different parts of the world. To this day the UN continues bringing actors with different points of view around the table in order to find effective solutions. It serves as a bridge between the short-term nature of national electoral politics and the long-term solutions that nowadays states of our world require.

In our current globalized world, the challenges we face cannot be confined within the borders of any one country. Instability in one part of the world inevitably has repercussions in another part. These challenges are growing outward and crossing borders – we see it in climate change, insecurity, or conflicts.

We live in a world where people are more connected than ever before, yet our societies somehow are becoming more fragmented. Many people have lost confidence and trust not only in their leaders and Governments, but also in global institutions, including the United Nations. Multilateralism - or international problem solving if you want to put it that way - is challenged by nationalist, autocratic and isolationist politics of fear and resentment.

Now, more than ever, the global challenges we face require global responses. Yet more than ever, multilateralism is under strain, and our relevance as an organization is being put to the test. The United Nations, which still reflects very much the governance structures and realities of 1945, has to adjust its way of doing business. The global multiple and interconnected challenges are surpassing our ability to address them with yesterday’s tools. It is really urgent and we are on the process of doing so.

What we experience now is a slow transformation of our governance structures - from the state-centric model towards a system whereby more stakeholders would need to have a seat at the decision-making table. As with any transition period, it is not quite clear yet how it will work out, but one thing is clear: an inclusive multilateral order is shaping its way.

We have already experienced examples of inclusive multilateralism through the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The development of the 2030 Agenda was an inclusive and consultative process, which resulted in the 17 global goals as you know today – or SDGs, or as we called them, ODG en français.

The SDGs are universal, integrated and indivisible. All stakeholders are expected to contribute to their realisation. The SDGs encompass the global ambition to make the world a better place and cover everything from ending poverty and hunger to achieving gender equality and improving health and education; and from protecting the environment to creating decent work and promoting strong institutions. All of these efforts through a prism of human rights and a promise to leave no one behind.

We are now seeing this inclusive multilateralism in the manner of how the SDGs have been embraced by various actors at the implementation stage. Civil society, the business community, individuals – it is extraordinary to observe how multiple actors are actually pulling their weight.

But the clock is ticking, and our ability to implement the SDGs on time will depend on how we embrace change and do business differently – in a more innovative, cross-sectoral, horizontal and collaborative manner. This is crucial for the success of these goals, and also for the reforms that our Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, launched to make the United Nations organization more effective, flexible, fast, efficient and relevant in today's context.

International Geneva is an example, or the best in fact, of inclusive multilateralism. Home to leading international organizations, representatives of Member States, non-governmental actors, research institutions, think tanks and private sector entities, Geneva brings together not only politicians, diplomats and negotiators, but also academics, experts and practitioners. This makes Geneva a fertile ground for actors to focus more on collaboration, innovation and solutions, and less on politics.

The work here is focused on several areas - health, labour, human rights, humanitarian action, disaster response, intellectual property, trade, development, disarmament, science and technology, and the list goes on, practically all human indicators are assessed here. In all these areas, the Sustainable Development Goals guide our actions and projects. Therefore, it is very fitting that you are here, in the heart of the UN operational hub, for your conference.

Remember, the 2030 Agenda is your future. You will be inheriting the post 2030 world. Looking at the many challenges you have chosen to discuss in these coming days - from climate change to migration; from the prevention of violent extremism to the protection of civilians in armed conflict; from artificial intelligence to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals - it is evident that you have an acute awareness of the global realities and a motivation to find solutions.

You, young people and students, have an important role to play in the implementation of our common goals and in writing the narrative of your generation. Don't wait for somebody else to intervene and change the world. Do it yourselves. Your participation in the world around you - through discussion, advocacy and action - is incredibly essential to progress and development. For, in the words of the late Kofi Annan, “The future belongs to you, but it can only belong to you if you participate and take charge”.

Dear friends,

During this conference, you will sharpen your talents of negotiation and debate. You will harness your gifts of intellect and oratory speech. You will practice the skills to listen and accept each other’s similarities and differences in search for common ground. You will take a step in preparing yourselves to become active citizens and global leaders in whatever career or profession you choose.

I wish you every success in the discussions you are about to undertake. And I encourage you to carry this experience into your world beyond the walls of the Palais des Nations – share it with your friends and family, with your audience on social media. I hope you will go home at the end of this week with an unforgettable experience, and I thank you all for your commitment to a better tomorrow.

Thank you.