Speech of the UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan at UN75 launch event

Dear Ambassador Hafiz Pashayev,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to have you join us today as we kick off celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, and we are particularly thrilled to be able to organise this launch event in Azerbaijan together with ADA University and the academic community here.

Let me also use this opportunity to extend my sincere appreciation to Ambassador Pashayev for hosting this event. 

The UN75 is going to be a lot more than a birthday celebration. It will be a year of listening and engaging with you on the various strategies and proposals you may have to ensure the United Nations is able to deliver better on the promise of a world free from want, fear and conflict.

As a first step, the United Nations has launched the biggest global conversation on the world's future which will be going on until the end of this year. 

Our aim is to reach a vision for 2045 - the year in which our organisation will turn 100 – a vision that is based on an increased understanding of future global challenges, but also the opportunities lying ahead and the new forms of international cooperation that we need to be put in place.

This conversation starts with a “one-minute survey” that I encourage you to take, and it involves three straightforward questions: “What kind of future do we want to create?”; “Are we on track?”; and “What action is needed to close the gap between our vision and current realities?”.

We have produced a rollup banner with a QR code, so please feel free to scan it with your smartphones to take the survey.

We are also planning to translate the survey into the Azerbaijani language. When the Azerbaijani version will be available online, we will place posters with a QR code in public spaces, such as bus and metro stations, to create an opportunity for the general public to express their views and expectations.

We will also organise various initiatives in the regions of Azerbaijan to integrate the voices and proposals of people in rural areas.

Your views and ideas are important to us and we will use them to prepare a high-level event with the Secretary-General and senior decision-makers to mark the UN's 75th anniversary on 21 September 2020.

The slogan of the UN75 campaign is Shaping Our Future Together. As we gather here today, let us use this opportunity to start envisioning a better world for ourselves and for future generations, and let us make sure that Azerbaijan plays a prominent role in shaping that future.

Thank you!