Myanmar Music Festival 2017 - Remarks by Ms. Min Jeong Kim, Head of UNESCO Office in Myanmar

Mingalaba and Good Evening!

# I am very honoured to say a few words on behalf of the United Nations which is pleased to be part of this 4th Myanmar Music Festival. Perhaps there are some in the audience who may be wondering what does the United Nations have to do with a music festival. As a form of communication and expression music, transcends all languages, national boundaries and cultures, which embodies the spirit of the United Nations.

# And as a representative of UNESCO, the specialized United Nations agency that promotes peace and development through education, sciences, communication and culture, I am especially delighted to be here tonight. Fundamental principle that guides UNESCO’s activities is that creativity contributes to building open, inclusive, pluralistic and prosperous societies.

# In this regard, I would like to congratulate Ms. Kaiyin Huang, Mr. Kimball Gallagher and Ms. Erina Iwasaki, for organizing this 2017 Myanmar Music Festival as well as the musicians, composers and vocalists for being part of a this wonderfully unique initiative.  This Festival which brings together composers and musicians from different backgrounds, musical genres, continents and countries from Myanmar and from around the world is not only simply a concert but a celebration of the creativity, diversity and pluralism that are the very essence of humanity. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

# At the United Nations, we understand that speaking of human development is not possible without understanding and respecting the arts, cultures and traditions of the people and communities we work with. Arts in general, and music in particular, can also help to foster social cohesion in a world that is getting increasingly complex by bringing people together from all races, gender, languages and religions, and offer a space where people can interact and inspire.  I would like to thank once again the organizers and the musicians for this concert which symbolizes not only the diverse world we live in but also the peaceful and harmonious coexistence of all cultures and peoples. 

See more photos: United Nations Information Centre Yangon