Mr. Michael Møller, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva greeted the organizers and the participants of this year’s MUNChildren, with a message that was read as an introductory speech by Ms. Lidiya Grigoreva, chief of the NGO Liaison Office.
Mr. Møller expressed his gratitude to the JWF for promoting the ideals and principles of the United Nations, and for encouraging the next generation’s leaders to start shaping their future.
At the beginning of the speech, Mr. Møller expressed his gratitude to the Journalists and Writers Foundation for promoting the ideals and principles of the United Nations, and for encouraging the next generation’s leaders to start shaping their future. He emphasized the significance of organizing “Model United Nations” conferences through which children can learn more about the UN system, get familiar with different cultures, and compromise and find solutions to their common problems.
In his message, Mr. Møller stated that one of the most pressing problems in front of the UN Security Council is the issue of children in armed conflicts. Most of the rights of child are violated during conflicts, and that is why the most challenging task of the Security Council is to address the root causes of conflicts and prevent them from happening, said Mr. Møller.
Towards the end of his message, the Director-General encouraged the children to look at peace and security, development and human rights – the three pillars of the United Nations – as one. These three pillars complete each other and depend on each other. He also pointed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, saying that it envisages a world, in which every child grows up free from violence. Mr. Møller emphasized the fact that young people should be the agents of change in the world, and called the MUNChildren participants to engage in critical thinking and innovation and to come up with fresh ideas. He finished the message by claiming that children should take an active role in building their future already today. He also encouraged them by saying that by taking part in the MUNChildren they are already in the right direction.