Secretary-General António Guterres: Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.  It is a true pleasure to be back in Geneva.  Having worked as High Commissioner for Refugees for 10 years, it is heartening to see the international community come together today in support of refugees and host communities.  Global forced displacement has been rising steadily in recent years.  When I started in 2005 as High Commissioner for Refugees, there were 38 million people displaced in the world and we were helping one million people go back home every year.  And for many of our colleagues, ther

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
It is a pleasure to join you.
 
If I may, I would like to begin with a short personal reflection.
 
Coming to Geneva for this refugee forum carries great meaning and emotions for me.
 
I feel I am among friends – not only good colleagues past and present, but also friends of one of the great causes of these or any times: answering the plight of people forced from their homes by war, conflict or persecution. 
 

This has been a year of tremendous activism – notably by young people. It is particularly fitting that this year we mark Human Rights Day during the crucial UN conference in Madrid to uphold climate justice. We owe a debt of gratitude to all those millions of children, teenagers and young adults who have been standing up and speaking out more and more loudly about the crisis facing our planet.
 

Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
I am pleased to join you on this year’s International Day, to celebrate the participation and leadership of persons with disabilities and action towards achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
 

[Watch the video on webtv.un.org]

I am pleased to greet this important Forum on business and human rights.

The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights offer guidelines for companies to prevent, address, and remedy human rights abuses committed in business operations.

Ms. Najat Rochdi condemns in the strongest terms the missile attack, reportedly fired from Syrian-government controlled territory, that hit the densely populated Qah IDP camp and exploded near a maternity hospital in Idlib province. At least 12 people were killed and some 50 injured, including children—with confirmed casualties expected to rise.

The civilians in Qah have already been forced to flee their homes, some displaced multiple times, seeking safety and are living in extreme conditions. Tents and other shelters were destroyed, as temperatures are dropping.

I am pleased to greet this important conference.
 
I commend your vital role in ensuring that international organizations uphold the highest standards of conduct and effectiveness. 
 
For multilateralism to work, we need to be trusted partners, committed to integrity.  
 
Current reforms at the United Nations aim to enable us to make more effective and efficient use of our financial resources to deliver better for the people we serve.