Cities for CEDAW
- Jan 12
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 16
Opening remarks for the awards ceremony for the Cities for the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women.
UNA/USA Leadership conference
November 15, 2025
St. Louis, Mo
By Soon-Young Yoon
Founder and co-director, Cities for CEDAW History and Futures project
Colleagues, friends and esteemed members of the UNA/USA community,
Today, we gather to celebrate not just individual achievements, but the collective spirit and determination that each of you embodies as a global citizen. The UNA’s commitment to creating a more equitable and sustainable world fills me with hope and admiration.
I have one simple message for you, today. You may believe that—as youth leader in school or someone working from 9 to 5 —that you can’t make a difference. If that is what you think, you are dead wrong. In this history of the United Nations, you---each and every one—are more important than you think you are.
Why do I say that? We live in a world that thrives on the myth of the individual, the "me" and the "mine.” How often have you heard someone say “I can do this myself”. I call it a myth because no one lives alone; every action or nonaction we choose has a ripple effect.
Changing the World
And here is the good news. You don't need to work inside the UN to change the world. As we heard over the last few days, the essence of global citizenship lies in the daily choices we make, the conversations we ignite, and the compassion we show to those around us. For some, it is what you tell a friend about this meeting, write about the UN in a local newspaper or sign a petition to ban nuclear weapons. Whether it is advocating for climate justice, human rights for women and girls or racial equality, your actions create a profound impact that transcends borders and inspires others to join the cause. And for those of you working in UNA chapters, here is a job description you can put on your LinkedIn profile: “I work for the United Nations and sometimes I get paid.”
At the 1995 UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, we had a very special project that symbolized exactly what I’m talking about. We asked women from all across the world to weave a tapestry into pieces of cloth they could bring from home. The women sewed all these together. When it was finished we took the gigantic tapestry to the Great Wall where we proudly declared, “‘Let’s weave the world’s women, together.” Your efforts remind us that we are part of a large tapestry, where each thread contributes to the strength and beauty of the whole.
Congratulations once again, UNA Global Citizen awardees. The world is a better place because of you.
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