Speeches 2013
The Director-General is often invited to speak on the work of the Organization at conferences, seminars and other types of meetings as well as at opening of cultural events. Many of these speeches and statements are made available to the public.
All publicly available speeches and statements are listed in chronological order. If you wish to search for a particular topic and/or event, you can use the regular search function of the website.
Click here to see the speeches of the previous Director-General.
4 October 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Meeting with the Group of Friends of the Palais des Nations
3 October 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition of works by artist Andy Warhol
2 October 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the UNOG Library Talks Event on : "Linguistic Rights and Duties in the Evolution of Public Laws"
2 October 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Geneva Launch of the UN Handbook
2 October 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the12th International Conference of Editors of Diplomatic Documents
1 October 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the UNOG Library Talks Event on: “Human Rights as International Constitutional Law”
23 September 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the Exhibition entitled "From Emigration to Integration"
20 September 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the International Day of Peace Event (in French)
20 September 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Geneva Peace Talks Reception
19 September 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the High-level Panel Discussion “Simply Put – Water is Life”
18 September 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the UN-Links Meeting
10 September 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the “Pour un monde plus doux” exhibition
10 September 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the event “Indigenous Peoples at the United Nations: from the experience of the first delegates to the empowerment of the younger generations”
10 September 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Joint UNOG-GPP–Institute for Economics and Peace Event
10 September 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Disaster Relief Homes Exhibit: “Building a Safer World Together”
10 September 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Plenary Session of the Conference on Disarmament
9 September 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition entitled “Thailand and the United Nations: A Growing Partnership”
3 September 2013
Remarks of the Director-General on the occasion of the 7th Earth Dialogues
2 September 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition entitled "Unfinished Business"
29 August 2013
Opening remarks by the Director-General at the “Fête de la communication - La Pastorale”
29 August 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the film screening of “Embrace! A World Free of Nuclear Weapons”, on the occasion of the International Day against Nuclear Tests
27 August 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the performance "Experience China, Amazing Yunnan"
18 July 2013
Remarks by the Director-General at the commemoration to mark Nelson Mandela International Day
6 July 2013
Message by the Director-General to the Caux 2013 Initiatives for Human Security
3 July 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the "Yury Bashmet and children's orchestra" concert
30 June 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations Graduation and Honorary Degree Award Ceremony
28 June 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the UNCTAD Gender Lecture Series; “Women and Negotiations: Myth and Reality”
27 June 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition "Empowering Women", organized by the Permanent Mission of the United States of America.
24 June 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition "Avec les victimes de guerre", organized on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the International Committee of the Red Cross
19 June 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the 3rd International Expert Meeting on the follow-up of implementation of Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18
18 June 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Conference on Disarmament
14 June 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the closing of the Luminariam, and exhibition entitled “Closing, Acts of Memory, celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”
13 June 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the International Counter-Terrorism Focal Points Conference on Addressing Conditions Conducive to the Spread of Terrorism and Promoting Regional Cooperation
12 June 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition “Roerich Pact: History and Modernity”, organized by the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation
4 June 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Exhibition entitled “Several players, one goal”
3 June 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the closing of the international conference "Opportunities and Challenges for the 21st Century - Need for a new Paradigm"
3 June 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the International Conference "Opportunites and Challenges for the 21st Century - Need for a new Paradigm".
30 May 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the panel discussion on "United Nations Peacekeeping: Adapting to New Challenges"
30 May 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers
28 May 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the exhibition “Let’s do it! Let’s clean the world together”.
22 May 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the concert of the National Chorus of Korea
20 May 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Opening ceremony of the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly
15 May 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Lunchtime Seminar “Exploring Avenues to address the Stalemate in the Conference on Disarmament”
8 May 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Exhibition entitled "Art and Artisanat"
6 May 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition entitled "The Urban Landscape in Contemporary European Painting"
3 May 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Conference entitled "Actions to Enhance Global Security"
29 April 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the VII Ministerial Meeting of the Community of Democracies
25 April 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the UNOG Library Talk Launch of the PIR Center White Paper “Ten Steps towards a Weapons of Mass Destruction-Free Zone in the Middle East”
24 April 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the10th International Security Forum
Concluding Panel:“Looking Ahead – Managing Multiple Transitions”
18 April 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at an event to mark the celebration of UN Chinese Language Day (as prepared)
15 April 2013
Remarks of the Director General at the Global Day of Action on Military Spending Event -
“Military and development spending in an era of austerity”
9 April 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Annual Civil Society Briefing
9 April 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the 65th session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
8 April 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda
3 April 2013
Table ronde - Technologie, innovation et multilinguisme
2 April 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Annual UNIDIR Space Security Conference 2013 -
“Enhancing confidence, securing space stability”
27 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of Azerbaijani Cultural Night
27 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Spring Festival marking the International Day of Nowruz
26 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General, delivered on his behalf by Mr. David Chikvaidze, Chief Librarian, United Nations Office at Geneva, at the opening of the exhibition “Libertad, luces del Ecuador: Paintings by Voroshilov Bazante”
22 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General, delivered on his behalf by Mr. Joshua Lincoln,
Chef de Cabinet, Office of the Director-General on the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
21 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the celebration of the International Day of Nowruz during his official visit to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
19 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at Turkmen State University, Ashgabat on " The United Nations in a World in Transformation"
18 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Geneva International Model United Nations Annual Conference on “Science for Peace and Development”, delivered on his behalf by Mr. Joshua Lincoln, Chef de Cabinet, Office of the Director-General
13 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Reception by B’nai B’rith International and B’nai B’rith Europe to mark their participation in the Human Rights Council
7 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition “Italy’s Civil Society & Institutions: A Partnership for Human Rights”
6 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition "Make me visible: Birth Registration Matters”
6 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the UNOG-DCAF Seminar: "The United Nations and Security Sector Reform: The Way Forward"
5 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition “Viacrucis del Migrante, paintings by Sigifredo Camacho”
5 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General to the Trieste Forum: “Impact of Science and Technology on Society and Economy”, delivered on his behalf by Mr. David A. Chikvaidze, Director of the UNOG Library and Chairman of the Cultural Activities Committee
5 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the Reception to mark the Geneva Launch of the United Nations Security Sector Reform Integrated Technical Guidance Notes
4 March 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition "Faces of Geneva"
26 February 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the panel discussion “The Power of Empowered Women”
26 February 2013
Remarks of the Director-General, delivered on his behalf by Mr. David Chikvaidze, Chief Librarian at the opening of the exhibition "Transport in Motion" organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
25 February 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the donation ceremony of the artwork "In Women's Hands" by the European Union
20 February 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the UNOG Library Talk “Connecting the world: Art and the information society”
18 February 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition “For a Mine-Free World”, marking 20 years of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
14 February 2013
Keynote Address at the Anniversary Commemorative Meeting at the Diplomatic Academy of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Russian Federation, Moscow Thursday, 14 February 2013 (English translation, original text in Russian, as delivered).
13 February 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the “New Approaches to General and Complete Disarmament”: The Strategic Concept for the Removal of Arms and Proliferation Project
13 February 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the event marking the 40th Anniversary of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
12 February 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition “History as News: 1898-2012”
6 February 2013
Remarks of the Director-General, delivered on his behalf by the Officer-in-Charge, UNOG for the opening of the exhibition “Shared Risks, Shared Responsibility: Opportunities for Cooperation”
5 February 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the UNECE Committee on Economic Cooperation and Integration; Team of Specialists on Public-Private Partnerships - Fifth Session.
Delivered on his behalf by Mr. Clemens Adams, Director of the Division of Administration
31 January 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the UNOG Library Talk on “Afghanistan’s Post-Conflict Reconstruction - The Outlook after the 2014 Transition” (en anglais)
29 January 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust
28 January 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition "The Power of Civil Society during the Holocaust: The Bulgarian Story 1940-1944”
16 January 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening session of the CIUTI Forum on “Facing the World’s New Challenges: The Role of Translators and Interpreters in Providing Integrated Efficient and Sustainable Solutions”.
15 January 2013
Remarks of the Director-General at the opening of the exhibition “Germany and France: Half a century of friendship and cooperation” (in English and French)
9 January 2013
Remarks by Director-General at the Model United Nations of Lycée-Collège International de Ferney-Voltaire (FerMUN) “ICTs as the way forward in development, peace and prosperity” (as prepared)