Watch the video: https://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/ondemand/2974973_MSG+DSG+MOHAMMED+LEADING+MINDS+CONFERENCE+02+NOV+22.mp4

Good morning and greetings from New York.

I am delighted to join this important Leading Minds conference on child identity and commend UNICEF and the Government of Italy for supporting this conference.

As a child of a mixed heritage living in two countries, the complexity of identity has always been part of my life journey.

So, I cannot emphasize enough, the importance of this conference.

Despite the many gains that the United Nations have made in fighting bias and discrimination, we know that much work remains.

Millions of children and young people from all around the world face discrimination, exclusion and violence.

Girls and young women are particularly affected.

So are those with uncertain legal status, persons with disabilities, in extreme poverty, ethnic or religious minorities, and people with different sexual orientation and gender identity.

When we exclude these young people, we undermine all our other efforts at social, economic and environmental progress.

We make it impossible to build inclusive, equitable, peaceful and prosperous societies.

And we entrench the forces that drive division among us, and which can undermine our drive towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

We have the tools to eliminate discrimination based on identity.

And all of you, through your expertise, policies and practice are working towards this – in your areas of focus.

We must multiply and accelerate those efforts by working together, as one.

For diversity must not be treated as a threat, but instead we must recognize it as a source of strength.

We must celebrate this power of diversity and recognize that a multiplicity of perspectives will be a powerful tool in driving forward progress to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.

I thank you.