Dear friends,

It is a pleasure to join you today from UN Headquarters in New York.

I’m Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications.

We meet during a landmark year – and not only for this forum, as it celebrates its first decade.

This is also a landmark year for the international community and for Japan, as we mark 80 years since the atomic bombs fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and 80 years since the creation of the United Nations.

It is no coincidence that these events occurred in the same year.

Back then, in 1945, still reeling from the horrors of those attacks, the Holocaust, and the Second World War, the world came together to forge a better future.

To “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,” as the UN Charter pledges.

Eight decades on, it’s worth reminding ourselves: we can draw a direct line between the creation of the United Nations and the prevention of a third world war.

Since day one, the United Nations has fought for a world without nuclear weapons.

Today, we find ourselves in a sobering moment in that fight: the use of nuclear weapons is no longer an abstract threat but a real and present danger.

The UN will never give up on its mission to eliminate nuclear weapons once and for all and to build on last year’s global recommitment to nuclear disarmament.

The UN is grateful for Japan’s steadfast support in this and in all our core priorities. And not just as one of the largest contributors to the UN budgets and peacekeeping budgets.

The Japanese people have shown great leadership on the world stage.

Offering generosity and solidarity to some of the most vulnerable people on earth. Urging the world to be better prepared for disasters. And committing to sustainable development for all.

Japan has been a steadfast supporter of our roadmap for a better future, which we call them the Sustainable Development Goals.

When we talk about sustainable development, we mean that no one on our wealthy planet should go hungry. No person should die from lack of clean drinking water or medicine. No child should miss out on learning.

They represent the belief that a better world is possible.

A world in which those caught up in deadly conflict, or suffering the aftermath of a natural disaster, are given help to survive.

A world in which everyone lives in peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet.

Yet that vision is under threat.

We are seeing the United Nations under attack like never before.

While drastic funding cuts are having disastrous consequences for those we serve – among them the most vulnerable people on earth.

Fueling that fire is a toxic information environment.

We once believed that social media could connect people, spread solutions, and give voice to the voiceless.

But instead, outrage and lies are rewarded. Hate is amplified. Refugees are demonized. Women are silenced. Climate activists are bullied.

Today, UN aid agencies and peacekeepers are targeted by disinformation campaigns that put staff lives at risk.

The harm is enormous.

It slows down climate action. It fuels violence. It erodes trust in facts, in science, in the very idea of truth.

And as the world burns, the UN is under pressure.

This is the world we are navigating — the disintegration of large parts of the global aid architecture, the trampling of international law, the unraveling of global norms.

And yet — there is hope.

Last year, world leaders at the UN agreed on three historic documents:
• The Pact for the Future — our most ambitious renewal agenda in decades.
• The Global Digital Compact — the first framework for AI and online safety.
• And the Declaration on Future Generations — a pledge to protect the rights of those yet to come.

We also launched the UN Global Principles on Information Integrity, which is a roadmap to reclaim our information space.

As the Secretary-General reminded us, quoting Jean Monnet: “I am not optimistic. I am not pessimistic. I am determined.”

He asked us to do three things: defend multilateralism, stick to our principles, and seize opportunities.

That is the spirit of the UN80 Initiative — making the UN more effective and cost-effective, and also able to deliver in a time of shrinking resources.

Dear friends,

Our resources are shrinking. But our determination is not.

I saw that spirit of international solidarity on display in Osaka earlier this year at the EXPO 2025.

I hope that you all got a chance to visit the UN Pavilion there.

It was generously supported by the Japanese government. It showcased the continued relevance and value of our organization for the people of Japan and also for those seeking prosperity, stability and peace.

The Pavilion had one very special feature. A miniature replica of the Japanese Peace Bell – a gift from Japan to the United Nations here at our headquarters in New York.

On the side of this bell are eight characters in Japanese, and they say, “Long live absolute world peace.”

Whenever I see the original on my way to work, it gives me pause.

It is my great hope that all who hear the Bell are filled with determination for peace.

It just remains for me now to wish you the best for your discussions and to leave you with a concrete ask:

We need you to help make the case for multilateralism and to continue the support to the UN.

Spread the word in your networks and ring the bell for peace.

Thank you.

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