The “Experience the U.N.” International Youth Delegation visits the UN office in Geneva

The delegation from the "Experience the United Nations" international youth exchange program visited the Palace of Nations in Geneva on July 17, 2018, local time.

The delegation was given a guided tour at the palace. They saw the craftily-designed dome of the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room and the murals on the walls of the Assembly Hall. The students had the privilege of standing on the stage of multilateral diplomacy and listening to the history of the palace and the UN. They were deeply impressed by the ups and downs of international politics. 

The historical Geneva Conference was also held in the Palace of Nations (Le Palais des Nations). Delegates from all the countries gathered here to discuss peaceful resolution of the Korean issue and the restoration of peace in Indo-China. It was also the first time that China participated in an important international conference as one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. There was an unforgettable black-and-white photo of Premier Zhou, who embodies China’s determination of participating in peace and security affairs as well as exudes confidence in China’s role on the world stage. Another painting on the wall portrays two sides of a war. At first glance, the winner was gloating and the losers disparaged, but in fact, the losing side becomes obsessed with revenge while on the winning side, the families were devastated by the death of their loved ones. The painting conveys the message that there are no winners of wars. Only through peaceful negotiations and coordination, only through multilateral diplomacy, can the world enjoy long-lasting peace and development. 

Premier Zhou at the Geneva conference 

The Palace of Nations is decorated with items donated by countries, including the famous “Temple of Heaven” carpet donated by the Chinese government in 1984. The Palace is like a garden of world cultures. Students were deeply impressed by the beautiful artworks as well as the history and stories behind each item. 

After the visit of the Palace of Nations, Mr. David Chikvaidze, Head of the Secretariat of the Director-General of the UN Office, met with the delegation. He highly praised the efforts by Beijing Wu Jianmin Foundation (WJF) to promote multilateralism and to help the growth of young students. He talked about the variety of challenges facing mankind such as lack of human rights, climate change, loss of biodiversity, and the worrying sanitary conditions in some parts of the world. He said that ultimately the way to solve these issues is through multilateral diplomacy under the UN. Unilateralism and protectionism shall be addressed by promoting multilateralism, he said. In the Q&A session with the students, Mr. Chikvaidze expressed appreciation and anticipation towards China’s contribution and said that the increased involvement in global affairs could help China improve its influence on the world stage. He also candidly admitted the limitations and flaws of the UN and urged reform to the system. 

When asked how to become a qualified UN staff member, Mr. Chikvaidze replied simply, “Work hard, be professional.” The simple words are the most powerful encouragement to the young people willing to devote themselves to multilateral diplomacy. 

Ms. Li Yunbei, junior professional officer at the SDG Lab of the UN Office in Geneva, explained the history and the making of UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as the obstacles to achieving the 17 goals. She emphasized that the underlying philosophy of SDGs was “leaving no one behind.” She encouraged the young students to lead by example and spread the concept of sustainable development. The rainbow colored SDG rings symbolize that all countries should unite, everyone should participate, in order to fight for the wellbeing of mankind. The SDGs happened to be the theme of the 2018 Beijing International Model United Nations (BIMUN), therefore the students were able to ask Ms. Li some questions arising from their own experience in the model conference. The change of perspective from mock conference to reality enabled the students to think outside of the box. Direct dialogue with people at the frontline of developing and studying the SDGs also enabled the students to better understand the UN and the world. 

A Group Photo of the delegation