Director-General/Executive Director
Thank you, Ms. Stadler,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Distinguished guests,
Dear graduates,
It is a pleasure to join you today in this marvelous hall of the Vienna University of Applied Arts, a place steeped in knowledge and history.
Today’s celebration is an opportunity not only to reflect on your hard work and dedication, but also to celebrate the power of art and culture to promote human rights principles and the universal values that we all share, and that underpin all of our work at the United Nations.
These subject areas are crucial to deepening our understanding of the world, to embrace the diversity in our societies, to safeguard the rights and hopes of all people, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
It is also an opportunity to reflect on the enduring significance of human rights today, particularly since you are graduating at a unique moment in the human rights calendar.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
It may not seem like much – a simple document as you can see – but it embodies the fundamental rights that all of humanity is entitled to.
The right to life, liberty, and security; to freedom of expression; to healthcare; to the very education that you all enjoy today, and many more.
It was also here in Vienna, 30 years ago, that the international community came together and reaffirmed its commitment to these principles with the adoption of the Vienna Declaration.
This document crystallized the principle that human rights are indivisible, interdependent, interrelated, and applicable to all, without discrimination.
It is also a testament to the value of multilateralism and the ability of States to unite around a common goal, which we sometimes take for granted in today’s fractured world.
But as we reflect on this incredible history, I am inspired by the breadth of your achievements and the diversity of your thesis topics.
Your research spans from protecting the rights of children to addressing the urgent challenges of climate migration and human trafficking, topics that are incredibly relevant to our mandate at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
You have also explored the harrowing issue of intimate partner violence and navigated the intricacies of asylum policy and the right to adequate housing.
Your work reflects the complexity of today’s global environment, and helps paint a fuller, more vibrant picture of the range of rights and actions necessary to ensure human dignity.
And I would like to commend your professors, who have inspired and guided you along the way.
Together, you are all making an important contribution to advancing our knowledge and understanding of the relevance of human rights today.
And it is more important than ever that we protect and cherish these rights, because in times of crisis, human rights are often the first to unravel, and when they do, we all suffer.
Every day we wake up to a new crisis or catastrophe in the world, which put our human rights at risk.
In Afghanistan, where women and girls are being denied an education, their futures and rights cruelly stolen.
In Africa, where disillusionment and frustrations, particularly among young people, have resulted in a record-breaking number of coups, while instability fans the flames of violence in Sudan.
In Haiti, where gang violence has spiraled out of control, and where, earlier this week, the UN Security Council authorized a multinational intervention force to help restore peace and security.
In Ukraine, where war rages on without an end in sight.
And around the world, where more than 110 million people have been displaced, fleeing the consequences of multiple crises, in search of hope and a better life.
Migrants are crossing the Mediterranean at record-levels, suffering unspeakable hardships, and even death, along the route, with more than 2,400 losing their lives in 2022.
Meanwhile, our planet faces a climate crisis of unprecedented proportions, marked by record-breaking temperatures, devastating droughts, floods, and biodiversity loss.
These challenges threaten the very fabric of our societies and test the resilience of our commitment to upholding human rights.
And in this landscape of adversity and uncertainty, we are also reminded that human rights are not only necessary but intrinsically linked to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Human rights are the moral compass guiding our actions, and development is the journey towards a better world for all. These two concepts are intertwined, and we cannot truly achieve one without the other.
As we pass the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, I must admit that we continue to be off-track when it comes to achieving the SDGs.
At the recent SDG Summit in New York, world leaders agreed on a to-do-list to try to rescue the SDGs, and as the UN Secretary-General made clear, we have no choice, “it’s reform or rupture.”
But friends, if we are to succeed, this to-do list must extend far beyond world leaders.
It must become a global rallying cry, in which we all play a part, across generations.
History has shown time and time again that education is the most powerful agent of change. And the good news is that today’s students and young people are more connected, more mobile, and more engaged than ever before.
The UN Secretary-General has recognized the vital contribution that young people have to offer, and he intends to harness this energy through a new dedicated Youth Office, to better connect and reflect young people’s ideas in today’s decision-making.
We are also doing our part here in Vienna.
Last year, I launched a new framework – the Youth Empowerment Accelerator – to engage young people more effectively in UNODC’s work, so that our activities are not just implemented for the next generation, but also with them.
And we have been holding an intergenerational dialogue bringing together our young professionals with our senior management, so that our work can benefit from the ideas, innovation, and creativity of all our staff, to better reflect today’s realities.
Graduates from around the world are also contributing across the other Vienna-based organizations, including at the International Atomic Energy Agency and the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, where they are training the next generation of leaders on nuclear energy and disarmament. I witness every day the transformative power of young people, across the entire United Nations family.
But to fully harness this power, we must continue to invest in education.
And we must address the gender gap in schools and the workplace.
We know that by investing in girls’ education we can strengthen both communities and economies.
By insisting on gender parity in the workplace, we are nurturing the leaders of the future, both women and men, that the world needs.
Dear friends,
As you can see, you are indeed graduating at a moment of great importance for human rights, and for the world.
But you have the tools to make a difference.
Your diversity is your strength, and your education is your weapon.
You all bring your own unique perspectives, which can help shape the solutions to today’s problems.
The world needs your ideas, your innovation, and your drive to have an impact on people’s lives, for the better.
So, as you leave here today, treasure this moment, enjoy yourselves, and celebrate your achievements – you have much to be proud of. Then, once the celebrations are over, the next step of your journey will begin.
All of youhave an important role to play going forward. I am confident that each one of you will seize that role, navigating the world with curiosity and compassion and working towards a future where no one is left behind, and I look forward to following your journeys.
In the words of our Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, “Education is not only a fundamental human right, but a pathway to a better future for every person, and a more peaceful, understanding world.”
On that note, I would like to congratulate you once again on this remarkable achievement and to wish you all great success as you embark on this new chapter in your lives.
Thank you.