Good afternoon,
It is an honour and privilege to speak to you today. We are living in a time of unforeseen convergence of events that will shape our world’s future, and Europe’s role in it.
As at every critical juncture in history – we witness the foundations of both law and diplomacy coming under immense strain.
Because the world is deeply divided. Because conflicts are increasing in number and escalating in intensity. International humanitarian law – the rules that seek to protect humanity in war – is too often disregarded, violated, and even ignored all together.
This is undeniably the reality we face today. But I want you to acknowledge – especially those of you who hold or intend to take the reins of global leadership positions – that there is another truth to this: at the very end, multilateralism prevails.
The world would not be where it is today without the cooperation among people and states. I would not be standing before you as the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) if individuals had not come together to create institutions of global relevance.
The ICRC was founded by a visionary group of men and women to uphold dignity and safety in conflict. It owes its very existence to the belief that the creation of universally binding rules is not just possible but necessary.
Consider the international reach of Harvard University, which is as interconnected with the world as is the ICRC. The pursuit of knowledge and the shaping of leaders with a broad understanding of the complexities of the world, are needed to navigate today’s global challenges.
Humankind has always been more strongly defined by interdependence than division.
Why is this so important?
The chances of having a prosperous life, of seeing future generations – our own children – thrive, are always higher if we have stability rather than chaos, peace rather than war.
I can speak to this firsthand. Today, over 120 active armed conflicts are registered by the ICRC. Many of these conflicts are more intense than those seen in previous years – and the human cost is clear.
This month I visited Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. I met devastated families, desperately hoping their loved ones would return. I met mothers sheltering in makeshift tents, amidst of piles of rubble, trying to protect their children from cold, fear and hunger.
The same pattern of destruction could be said for people living in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar, and beyond.
To my thinking, there is no such thing as a “forgotten conflict.” From Ukraine to Sudan to Gaza, we bear witness to crises that only a few years ago might not have been at the forefront of your thinking. Yet, three years later, the cost of reconstruction is measured not in millions, but in the hundreds and thousands of billions. Many millions of people have been displaced. The human toll of conflict is staggering, and the path to recovery is long and arduous.
We can’t ignore any longer that it is precisely the economic consequences of war that are dominating national elections and budgetary negotiations across Western and, notably so, European parliaments.
Here’s the most important point: the scale of suffering we witness is not inevitable. People have the power to change the course of history.
We can imagine a world where the laws of war are better respected: a world where civilians are shielded from attacks, hospitals serve as sanctuaries for the sick and wounded, humanitarian aid reaches those in need, and prisoners of war are treated with dignity.
This world is possible, but it requires courage and leadership to move past divisions and find common ground in our shared humanity.
What fosters stability? What ensures that future generations are safer, and do not inherit the seeds of hate generated by past conflicts?
The answer is not found in further division but in de-escalation; in the recognition that we share common values, and that respect for human life must transcend political divides.
And yet, we are witnessing the deliberate targeting of civilians and humanitarian workers, and the use of weapons that flout the rules of war. It is no longer a question of “if” international law will be broken but “when.”
Let me ask you this: What defines victory? Who decides when a war is won?
Can victory really be claimed if all that remains is charred earth? Or worse, a betrayed social contract?
When wars are fought with cruelty and barbarism, with no regard for humanity, the path to peace and reconciliation is far more difficult – and global stability becomes increasingly fragile.
Today, the political leitmotiv of “you are either with us or against us” is taking again stronger hold. This view places human life on a scale, as if one life is worth more than another.
But I ask you as future leaders: Should the life of the person sitting next to you be worth more than your own? Should my life be worth more than yours?
We know from history how dangerous this line of thinking can be. This week marks 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of hatred, prejudice, and the hollowing out of the law. We must learn the lessons of the past. If we allow the dehumanization of others, the foundation of our shared humanity – the recognition of our own right to exist – collapses.
Since I took office as the President of the ICRC, I have been trying to find ways to help states de-escalate, to pull back from the current trajectory of division, death, and destruction.