High-level Meeting of First Ladies and Gentlemen: A Global Dialogue on Societal Resilience

Good morning, dear ladies and gentlemen. It is a great honor to see all of you here. Welcome to the high level event for the first ladies and gentlemen held on the margins of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Today's gathering continues a conversation that began in Kiev at the sixth summit of the first ladies and gentlemen on 24th August 2026. under the theme World 2026, Finding Stability in Times of Uncertainty. We meet at a time when societies around the world are navigating wars and conflicts, growing inequality, demographic change, rapid technological transformation, climate-related shocks, and declining trust in institutions. Against this background, resilience is no longer about capacity to withstand a crisis. It is also about our abilities to preserve cohesion, dignity, inclusion and trust, and to retain the capacity to act together and move forward. Today, we will look at resilience through the experiences of different countries and cultures, and we will hear the words, traditions, values and practices through which different societies understand resilience and bring these experiences together as part of our shared global conversation. Before we begin today's national interventions, I invite you to look at the resilience in its many forms, the resilience of materials, systems, the resilience of people and nations, different in nature, yet united by the fundamental capacity to withstand pressure, adapt to change, and continue forward. We will now have a look at the video clip.

There are many hard and very strong things on Earth. Diamonds, titanium, hardened steel. It seems like they can resist anything. But sometimes even these materials break or deform under a strong impact or high pressure. The laws of physics have their limits. But there are times on Earth when no law holds sway. And everything around is crumbling, shattering the world as we know it. It is precisely then, facing adversity and the greatest pressure, that the ordinary person proves to be the strongest. People. I think itself is Korean. One nation. There are about 7,000 languages and billions of words in the world. They are written from left to right, from right to left, and vertically. They are written using the Cyrillic, Latin, and Arabic alphabets, as well as hieroglyphs. Some words are meaningless, tender, and terrifying. Words that should have been said, and those that should never have been said. But some words carry true meaning, the history of our ancestors, and a legacy for future generations, a profound significance for an entire nation, one people, one person. In times of great uncertainty, people discovered within themselves ways to cope with grief, disasters and wars. They exist among many peoples. as a spirit, as a reflection, as the memory of generations. They are interconnected and come together to form a vast mosaic of vivid examples of resilience. We simply need to know how to draw on this experience. Today, it is time for the world to remember those manifestations of human strength that, unfortunately, we tend to forget when everything is going well, values that can make entire peoples, entire nations, and even a single individual stronger.

Resilience is a very powerful word with a very, very powerful meaning, and it takes different forms and speaks through different experiences. And today we will hear how different nations understand the resilience and have the honor to invite the First Lady of Ukraine, Mrs. Olena Zelenska, to speak about resilience and to present the global vocabulary of resilience. Mrs. Zelenska, the floor is yours.

Thank you. Thank you, Marianna. Dear friends, welcome to this gathering of the Summit of First Ladies and gentlemen on the sidelines of the United Nations. Thank you for everyone helping us organize it. And thank you to all the participants. Our community continues to grow. So I would also like to welcome those who are joining us today. Thank you. Especially for our new friends, I would like to remind you that the Summit of the First Ladies and Gentlemen is an organization that was founded in 2021 in Ukraine, Kyiv, For six years now, my colleagues and I have been working together to address challenges that matter to all our countries and the entire world. We don't just raise issues. We look for answers. That is how we have explored and worked on the impact of war on societies, children's safety, and access to education. And last month, the theme of our sixth summit in Kyiv was resilience. The ability of people, entire societies, systems, countries to withstand adversity. In Ukraine, sadly, we have learned a great deal about this because of Russia's aggression. But in fact, every country and every society has its own unique experience of resilience. It is thanks to this resilience that our societies are able to exist freely. Resilience doesn't mean the absence of pain, fear, or hardship. It means being able to act despite them. And not only to act, but even to grow and develop. So our summit became a platform where 38 countries from around the world shared their own experiences of resilience. And they shared them in a very literal sense, because Following the summit, we brought all 38 of these definitions, models, and practices together in a unique publication, the Global Vocabulary of Resilience. For the first time, we have put into words and brought together under one cover the experiences that have helped societies and countries, peoples, to survive and keep going for years and even centuries. The Ukrainian definition has also found its place among them. The Ukrainian philosophy of resilience was given the name sophianist, from the Greek word for wisdom. Sophianist means making sense of reality. It means seeing reality with both the mind and the heart. It means combining the will to live, the strength, to fight and the wisdom to learn. Our scholars proposed this name only recently, but Ukrainians have lived this way for generations, and especially during these difficult years of defending ourselves against the Russian aggression. For Ukraine, Sofi, in everyday life means people coming together after yet another Russian attack. Neighbors step out without being asked to help rescuers and those affected. Energy and utility workers restore power and water to bombed-out homes. Teachers continue their lessons, and children continue learning. Adults keep working so the country can live. In other words, it is the ability to instantly turn pain into united and wise action. Dear friends, especially those who have joined us today, I'm sure that your countries and societies too have centuries-old wise philosophies of overcoming hardship, and they are worth sharing. especially now when aggressors go unpunished and dictatorship continue to operate around the world. We all need reliable anchors. We need everything that can support our people and help them endure and even grow after any trauma. So we'd be very glad to see our vocabulary enriched with new terms after today's meeting your terms, your valuable experiences, because this is an open source book created to support and strengthen us all. So thank you all for your attention and resilience to us all. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Zelenskyy, for our national Ukraine's perception of resilience and what it means for Ukraine against the backdrop of Russia's ongoing aggression. And now we will proceed to the national interventions of the co-hosts in the alphabetical order who will present their national concept of resilience. And I have the honor to invite the first lady of Austria, Mrs. Doris Schmidauer, to present Austria's national concept of resilience. Your Excellency, the floor is yours.

Thank you. So, dear Olena, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, it's a great honor for me to speak on this panel of wonderful fellow first ladies. I always enjoy the spirit that fills the room when we come together. After sadly having missed this year's summit in Kiev, I'm very glad to be part of today's event in the margins of the UN General Assembly. For Austria, this is a particularly busy year at UNGA, as we are preparing for our membership in the Security Council for the period 2027-28. We look forward to carrying out this responsibility on behalf of the entire UN membership. Dear Olena, thank you for your initiative of uniting first ladies and gentlemen from around the world. Be it here in New York, in Kyiv, or this May in London, for an excellent high-level training program. It's truly impressive how you manage to bring us closer while Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military aggression is continuing unabated. So before we discuss today national concepts of resilience, I would therefore like to pay tribute to the courage, the resilience, and determination of the Ukrainian people. Austria will continue to stand with Ukraine. We remain committed to supporting a real peace process which will bring comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace to Ukraine, as well as a free, prosperous, and secure future in Europe. So let me now introduce you to what I believe is a good example of resilience in Austria. our phenomenon of social partnership, in German, Sozialpartnerschaft. I grew up in a small town in Upper Austria, and living there, you keep meeting the same people. You may live on the same street, belong to the same local club, and your children attend the same school and grew up together. That means that even when people disagree or hold different views and beliefs, They still have to find a way to live and work together. You need to respect the opinions of others if you expect your own opinions to be respected. This has shaped who I am. And time and again, you have to find compromises. Not any compromise, but responsible and sustainable compromises, good compromises. A good compromise keeps the greater good of all in mind. And it's also the foundation of Austria's model of success. A good compromise has guided us through the turmoil of the past, and it can also guide us through the challenges of the present. And it's precisely this spirit of compromise that lies at the heart of Austria's social partnership. Austrian social partnership is a close institutional cooperation between employees and employers, represented by their organizations and other interest groups. It brings together the interest of workers and businesses to develop sustainable solutions through dialogue. Through dialogue, negotiations and compromise, many social and economic challenges can be addressed before they develop into larger conflicts or confrontations. So social partnerships emerged as a lesson learned from the severe political conflicts of the period between the two world wars and from the desire to build a stable, democratic new beginning in Austria after the Second World War. Rather than simply fighting for your own interests or allowing conflicts to escalate, both sides are expected to seek lasting compromises together. Over the past decades, social partnership has strengthened social cohesion, created stability and predictability, and made Austria more resilient, particularly in times of crisis. This is all the more important today when peace can no longer be taken for granted in times of uncertainty, as this event is titled. More than ever, the lessons from the past can give us guidance in our complex world. Thank you for your attention, and I now look forward to hearing from my fellow co-hosts what models of resilience are distinctive to their countries, and what we can learn from each other. Thank you.

Thank you, Your Excellency, for sharing Austria's perspective and your contribution to our mosaic of resilience. And now I have the pleasure of inviting the spouse of the Prime Minister of Belize, Mrs. Rosanna Briseno, to share Belize's experiences and national concept of resilience. Madam, the floor is yours.

Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to be here before you on behalf of Belize and to join this important global conversation around a question that has become increasingly urgent for all of us with each passing year. The question of what truly makes a society resilient. We live in a time where uncertainty has often become almost certain. We witness conflict and displacement. We see widening inequalities, demographic changes, climate-driven shocks, rapid technological transformation, and growing concerns about the future of our children and our world. In these moments, resilience is often spoken about as though it were simply the ability to survive. But resilience is more than survival, and Ukraine and its people is an excellent example. Resilience is the ability to hold on to what makes us human while finding the courage and creativity to adapt to what is changing around us. The theme before us, World 2026, finding stability in times of uncertainty, reminds us that stability is not the absence of crisis. It is the presence of connection. It is knowing that when uncertainty arrives, our greatest strength is not that we are never tested, but that when we are, we will not face it alone. That is why for Belize, resilience is deeply rooted in something that is central to what we are as a people, our deep and enduring sense of community. Community for us does not simply mean to where we live, but how we live with one another. Belize is a very small country, yet we are a country of remarkable diversity. Our people come from different ethnicities, cultures, languages, traditions, and backgrounds. We are Creole, Mestizo, Maya, Garifuna, East Indian, Mennonite, Chinese, and many, many others. We speak different languages. We celebrate different traditions. We have different histories and stories. And still, we share one truth, that despite our differences, we understand that we need one another. When a family loses its home, neighbors come together. When a community is affected by a disaster, people share food, shelter, and whatever they have. When one person struggles, another person reaches out. And when our children need opportunities, we understand that their future is not theirs alone. It is a responsibility we all share. That is why for Belize, resilience is not simply about standing strong as individuals. It is about standing together as one people. Among them are the Maya, whose civilization and communities have demonstrated extraordinary continuity, adaptability, and strength across centuries. Today, Belize is honored to share a word from the Maya Yucatec Mestizo language that captures our our understanding of resilience. Muk'uyul. That was easy. Muk'uyul. This is our word, literally meaning the strength of his, her spirit or will, persevering through adversity. And behind this word is a much bigger story. It speaks to being determined, resolute, or persevering. It speaks to the capacity to endure, to adapt, to continue, to draw strength from those who came before us while creating a path for those who will follow. It reminds us that resilience is shaped by our ability to preserve our identity while adapting to change. Still, our experiences has taught us that societal resilience is not built only in the moment of a crisis. It was built long before the disaster arrived. It is built on our families, in our schools, in our communities. It is built when we teach our children empathy, responsibility, and respect. And it is built when institutions earn the trust of the people they serve. Again, that is why in Belize, we increasingly recognize that social development is not separate from national resilience. They are inseparable. A society cannot truly be resilient if families are struggling to survive. It cannot be resilient if women and girls live in fear of violence. It cannot be resilient if children are excluded from opportunities because of poverty or circumstance. It cannot be resilient if persons with disabilities are unable to fully participate in society. And it cannot be resilient if our most vulnerable citizens feel that their voices do not matter. Resilience, therefore, requires us to invest not only in infrastructure, but in people. It requires to strengthen social protection and access to opportunity. And above all, it requires us to protect the dignity of every individual. As first ladies and gentlemen, I don't see one out here today. We can use humanitarian and soft power leadership to build bridges where division exists and to encourage action where hesitation might persist. Oftentimes, our greatest influence starts with a single conversation or a single word. And that is why the global vocabulary of resilience is such a meaningful initiative, because it reminds us that resilience does not have one definition. Instead, every society has its own history, its own struggles, its own traditions, its own language for describing hope and perseverance. Belize looks forward to the future by remaining committed to building a society where every person has the opportunity to contribute, every child has the opportunity to thrive, and every community has the support it needs to withstand adversity and move forward. So once again, we add our voice to this global conversation with a word from our Yucatec Maya-Mesizo heritage,. May we continue to learn from one another. May we continue to share our stories of resilience. And may this global vocabulary remind us that while our words may differ, our aspirations are profoundly the same, to live with dignity, to protect our families, to care for one another, and to leave a more resilient world for the generations that follow. Thank you.

Thank you, Jacson, for your reflections on societal resilience, interconnection between social development and the resilience, and about a deep-rooted sense of community which exists in Belize. And now I give the floor, I have the honor to give the floor to the First Lady of the Republic of Benin, Jacson, Nathalie Villette Vadani, to present Benin's national concept of resilience. Madam, the floor is yours.

Thank you. Dear Olena, distinguished first ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, it is an honor to join you today on behalf of the Republic of Benin, a country whose history, cultures, and people carry a deep understanding of endurance, courage, and resilience. In preparing for this gathering, I chose to define resiliency by listening. Over several days, I met young people, civil society leaders, elected representatives, and women and men working for social impact. I asked them what resilience meant in their own lives and in the life of our nation. Their answer was clear. For Benin, the word at the heart of resilience is cohesion. They told me that resilience is to fall, rise, and remain standing, but never alone. It is a strength that comes from standing together, caring for one another, and refusing to leave anyone behind. This is reflected in a powerful image, which is the pierced jar. The concept draws on an enduring Beninese metaphor associated with King Gazo. A jar pierced with many holes can still hold water when many hands come together, each helping to close a hole. captures a simple but powerful idea. What is fragile alone can become strong together. The jar represents our common future. The holes are the vulnerabilities and shocks we all face. The hands are our solidarity and the water is the life, dignity, and hope we seek to protect. So for us, cohesion is therefore not merely social harmony, it is a practical force for action. It is what enables communities to support mothers, women farmers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. It is what ensures that persons with disabilities are treated with dignity. It is what helps families and communities to face poverty, climate shocks, insecurity, and uncertainty with courage. Cohesion asks each of us to recognize that another person's vulnerability affects us all, and that each of us has a hand to offer. So Benin's contribution to this global vocabulary of resilience is therefore simple. Our strength lies in what we hold together. May we build societies in which resilience is not the burden of the individual, but the shared responsibility of all, where every hand matters, and where together we do not only endure adversity, but create a more just, peaceful, and hopeful future. Thank you.

Thank you, Your Excellency, for sharing your views on the resilience and cohesion and for your personal experience in terms of mosaic of resilience. And now I would like to invite the First Lady of the Plural National State of Bolivia, Mrs. Marilena Urquidi, to present Bolivia's national concept of resilience. Madam, the floor is yours.

Thank you. Madam President, Excellencies, dear colleagues, thank you for welcoming Bolivia. I am honored to stand alongside the Excellency Olena Zelenska as co-host and grateful for the chance to share what my country has lived and what its people has taught me. We have been asked to offer a word that explains how our nation faces uncertainty. Bolivia's word is dialogue. I say that knowing how difficult dialogue can be. My country has lived through 53 days of road blockades. For nearly two months, roads closed, supplies were interrupted, and people who depended on a day's work did not know what the next day would bring. To understand those days, we must understand the difference between the anger people felt and what some political actors sought to do with it. Bolivians had reasons to be frustrated. Our country entered a period with a wounded economy, weakened institutions, and demands that had gone unanswered for years. People wanted change. They wanted to know when change would reach their homes. Those questions deserved answers. But some saw that anger as an opportunity. They took something deeply rooted in Bolivia, the courage of people to organize, protest, and demand to be heard, and tried to turn it into a way to destabilize a country that had just chosen a new direction. They wanted the old way of doing politics to return, a politics in which power is held through pressure, where roads are closed until a country gives in, and where a few can continue to live from a system that should serve everyone. I want to say plainly, the Bolivian people are not the blockade. The people are the market vendor who needs her goods to arrive, the farmer who needs to send a harvest, the driver stranded away from his family, the mother looking for fuel or medicine, the worker who wanted nothing more radical than the freedom to go to work. And the people also included those who protested in good faith, expecting their concerns to be heard, rather than used to prolong a political struggle. We defend the right to protest. A free people must always be able to challenge their government. But stopping food, work, production, and daily life does not give people a stronger voice. It makes them pay for someone else's attempt to take power. For 53 days, Bolivians paid that price. And for 53 days, they held on. They helped strangers strapped on the roads. They found ways to care for their families. They asked for answers without surrendering their hope that Bolivia could move forward. While some tried to make the country ungovernable, The people kept insisting that it was theirs to build. So when I look back on those 53 days, I do not ask which political side won. The people won. They held firm through an ordeal they did not choose. Their patience protected the possibility of a different future. Our response was dialogue. We kept the door open to demands. including questions left unresolved for 20 years. We brought people to the table and began the harder work of turning old grievances into plans and agreements. Dialogue did not mean accepting that the roads should stay closed. It meant refusing to let confrontation be the only way Bolivia knows how to solve a problem. We had to listen. We had to protect people's freedom to move, work, and live. This is why dialogue is our resilience. It gives a country the strength to face conflict without handing its future to those who profit from division. That strength has to be practiced every day. An agreement must be honored. A public institution must answer the citizen who comes to it. A worker must be able to earn a living. A producer must be able to produce. If we want people to choose dialogue when they are angry, they must see that dialogue leads to action. We have a great deal left to do. We are rebuilding trust while rebuilding the economy. We are working to create a state that serves its people and makes room for their initiative. That work will be judged by what changes in Bolivia's lives. But I want the world to see the strength which Bolivia has begun this transformation. See the people who endured those 53 days and still wanted their country to succeed. See the determination of families who kept working, entrepreneurs who kept creating, and communities who refused to give up on one another. See a country that has suffered from division and is choosing again and again to come together around the difficult work of building something better. We welcome those who want to be part of that work. Come to Bolivia ready to know its people, to work with them, to invest in what they can build, and to see the opportunity that exists alongside our challenges. Bolivia's story is still being written. There will be more disagreements. There will be people in the streets, and there should be in a democracy. What matters is whether we can hear them, answer them, and keep the country open for everyone else at the same time. That is the choice before us each day. For 53 days, the Bolivian people showed that their country is stronger than those who tried to stop it. Now we owe them more than an end to the blockades. We owe them the freedom to work, institutions worthy of their trust, and a future built through dialogue. Dialogue is Bolivia's power. The people are the reason we must use it well. To all here, thank you for listening. And to Bolivia, thank you for choosing dialogue. Thank you.

Thank you, Yekseni, for a very inspiring Medin story and about the role of dialogue in the history of Bolivia, which is also the foundation of our society and social cohesion, not only in armed conflicts, but also in peaceful times. And now I have the honour to invite spouse of the Prime Minister of Canada, Madame Diana Fox Carney, to present Canada's National Concept of Resilience. The floor is yours, Excellency.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, excellencies. Thank you, First Lady Zelenska Olena, for bringing us together today. And before I begin, I'd like to say how honoured my husband and I were to welcome you and your husband to Canada earlier this month, where we announced further support for Ukraine.

It's.

It's fitting that we're having this important conversation here at the United Nations. The United Nations was created in the aftermath of the Second World War, when nations, having witnessed the terrible cost of division, came together with a shared determination to build something different. An institution founded on the belief that the greatest challenges of our time cannot be met alone, that our strength lies not only in what we can withstand ourselves, but in what we can withstand together. That is resilience. The world of 1945 is far behind us, but the fundamental truth that gave rise to this institution is not. If anything, it has become more important. This idea that our resilience is strengthened by our connections to one another is not unique to the United Nations. It is deeply rooted in Canada's history and identity. Indigenous communities have understood for thousands of years that resilience is relational, rooted in community, responsibility, and a deep relationship with the land. That understanding is particularly important in a country such as ours, where geography brings both extraordinary strengths and unique vulnerabilities. We have the world's longest coastline, immense natural resources, and an Arctic that is warming more than twice as fast as the global average. Our changing climate is already testing our resilience through wildfires, floods, and extreme weather. In 2024, wildfires tore through Jasper, Alberta, destroying homes and disrupting thousands of lives. Canadians across the country stepped forward. They donated, they volunteered, they helped their neighbors. Governments worked together to support the community, and firefighters from around the world came to Canada's aid. That is resilience. It is not simply the ability to withstand a shock. It is the strength of the relationships that help us withstand it together. That is what we must continue to strengthen here at the United Nations, at home in Canada, and around the world. It is also the principle guiding my work as Canada's ocean envoy, where I'm bringing Canadians and international partners together to strengthen the resilience of our oceans and the communities that depend on them. Resilience is about relationships, their quality, their strength, their durability, and their diversity. Think about agriculture. A monoculture may be efficient, but it can also be fragile. One disease, one pest, one disruption can threaten the entire system. Diversity creates resilience. Canada is built on that principle. Diversity in our people, our regions, our industries, and our governments. Our federal system itself reflects the idea that different communities can bring different strengths to a common purpose. And that principle extends beyond our borders. In a more dangerous and divided world, Canada is building our resilience by deepening partnerships with trusted allies. Because resilience today requires more than just the ability to feed, fuel, and defend ourselves. It now requires secure access to AI, semiconductors, critical minerals, payment systems, clean energy technologies, vaccines, and space-based communications. Canada brings major strengths in these areas, while our partners bring strengths of their own. Our resilience grows when those strengths are connected. As my husband said last week in the European Parliament, "One tree will fall, but not a forest." That is the lesson we should carry forward. We share a common destiny, and we can master it only if we face it together. Thank you. Merci.

Thank you so much, Excellency, for sharing your experience about the role of Indigenous people in the history of Canada, about the shared relationship, how they strengthen the societies in different times. And since the First Lady of Estonia will join us a bit later, I have the honor to invite the First Lady of Guatemala, Dr. Lucrecia Eugenia Pianada Villanueva, to speak. Excellency, the floor is yours.

Very dear first ladies, we are missing our first gentleman, gentlemen peers this time. And dear Olena Zelenska, first, let me thank you for -- because I think we would agree that you embody resilience. Yes. As a person, as a first lady, and as a leader from your country in your own way. And also, your effort to get to visibilize, you know, the human rights that were being and that keep being, you know, harmed in your country has been growing and growing because of all your actions. and what became what was before only one meeting has begun really to grow into a more global community of support. So thank you for your example. I guess that we all as women are very proud to have such a leader and also are proud to have a peer First Lady. that really shows what we can do and that many of us are doing in our countries in different and very specific areas or topics. I'll also add something as I usually don't follow my my speeches, but I want to say that I am also very proud of my dear friends, first ladies of Latin America, that are now present. So a few of us were here, but now our presence is increasing. I remember when we, from Belize and Guatemala, were the very first Latin American and the Caribbean visitors, invitees, and attendance of the Global Summit in Kiev in 2024. We were happy to and proud to do that first step. But now, we are also happy that a lot more Latin American first ladies are stepping up you know, to support Ukraine and all women and children in different areas of conflict and violence. Now I have to read. So, so the word that has been shared as meaning for resilience in Guatemala is a Mayan origin word. We have 40% of our population is indigenous, between 40 to 50%, mainly Mayan population, but also Garifuna and Xinca. So we are an We are very rich in languages and cultures because we have 22 languages besides Spanish. So with the help of women, Mayan leaders, they also help us agree that this was the word based on their cosmo vision. So it is Uts' Kaz' Lemal. It is almost difficult to pronounce like yours, my dear. So, you know, it's Castlemal. This Maya expression from Guatemala speaks of living well. It is difficult to try to understand that meaning if you translate it into English or even into Spanish and into Western, you know, conception. is living well, but not in a material way, you know, is a spiritual, is in community, you know, so it's not related to having things, you know, so is that a wellbeing interior within the family and the community. So we have, let's say a good life, we are living well, a life in balance with other people. our communities, and nature. It offers a useful way to think about resilience when a society faces adversity. We should ask what helps people protect their way of life, act together, and change the conditions that put them at risk. Guatemala has had to answer that question for more than once, not necessarily answered correctly. but we have had to answer that in many occasions. Our armed conflict for 30, 60 years between the end of the 1950 and early 1990s left losses that families and communities still carry. It also left disputes over land, rights, and recognition that cannot be resolved by asking people to simply to endure themselves. Today, conflicts over land, water, and over the effects of mining on territories and natural resources that are communal owned by indigenous populations are persistent. Who is heard before decisions are made? Who bears the consequences? What happens when community and institutions do not trust one another? For women seeking safe drinking water for their families, this is not an abstract debate. Access to water affects health, the time spent on care, and the possibilities open to children. When women organize to bring these needs into community and public decisions, they are helping shape a more lasting response to risk. For indigenous peoples, land and water are also connected to identity, authority, and the continuity of their customs and worldviews. Their own ways of organizing and resolving disputes have helped communities maintain social life across generations. These are living capacities that public institutions with Western views need to recognize. That is a very everyday issue in our country. I want to mention that I've heard several leaders, indigenous leaders, women say they have, that's the others that are not the indigenous, through history, they have tried to oppress us and to make us disappear, but yet we are still here. So, thank you. The applause is hard to to the resilient indigenous communities in our country and elsewhere. Resilience then is not only the ability to absorb a shock and return to what was there before. Sometimes what was there before included exclusion. We need the capacity to adapt, but also to transform the relationships and decisions that keep producing the same conflicts. In Guatemala, we are seeing new efforts to create that capacity through national and territorial dialogues, conversations with indigenous authorities, agreed territorial agendas, and opportunities for communities to help share long-term development plans. An agreement matters when people can follow its implementation and see changes and participate in the decisions that affect them. I have seen this more closely in the dialogue between public institutions and organizations of persons with disabilities. For many years, for decades, people with disabilities, when trying to discuss and work with government to have their rights respected, but they were ignored. But now, We are bringing them into the process that has required institutions by mandate to hear, to listen with respect, to agree, to prioritize with them, and to act upon the agreements. The process has helped connect that knowledge to the development of disability policy and to public planning and budget guidelines. There is still work to do, but it shows what participation and dialogue, continuous dialogue, produce when institutions are willing to listen, make decisions and be accountable. Trust was not the starting point of this dialogue. but it has been one of the most important results of working together. That is really a key, a heart for a resilient relationship between those that have different interests, but come together for a common good. As first ladies and gentlemen, we can help open those conversations and keep attention on the people who are too often missing from them. Our role is to help connect their experiences with those who have the responsibility to act. So, Utz Kaz Lemal reminds me that living well depends on relationships. In times of uncertainty, stability grows when people can defend their rights, maintain their identity, address disagreements, without violence and trust that public decisions will include them. That is the resilience we should build together. Thank you.

Thank you, Excellency, for your experience in terms of resilience, but also for your outstanding support for our First Lady and for Ukraine. And if I may, I would like to invite now the First Lady of the Republic of Estonia, Mrs. Suike Kares, to present Estonia's National Concept of Resilience. Madam, the floor is yours.

Excellencies, dear friends, a few years ago, I went to an exhibition in Estonia about the origins of our digital society. It tells the stories about people who had helped build up our digital public services, tech companies, and startup ecosystems. What struck me first, how many of them had the same starting point, the Digileap program. Tiger Leap was launched in 1996. Its aim was practical, to connect schools to the internet, to provide them with computers, to train teachers, and to give young people across the country the chance to develop digital skills. Today, That may sound like an obvious thing to do. But Estonia was then a young state, rebuilding its institutions after restoring its independence, with limited resources and many urgent priorities. We could not see what the digital future would bring. from social media and AI to cyberspace becoming a place of conflict. But we knew that investing in people's skills would pay off. A decade later, that investment proved its worth in a way no one had planned. In 2007, Estonia faced a large-scale cyber-attack targeting state institutions, banks, and media. By then, we already relied a lot on digital services. But we also had a society with good digital skills, experienced specialists, and strong cooperation between the public and private sectors. We had people who could understand what was happening and mobilize quickly. Because of those attacks, Estonia developed stronger cyber defense institutions and volunteer networks as well. For me, That is central lesson of Tiger Leap, that resilience is built up before a crisis hits. We often speak about resilience in terms of emergency plans, defense system, and the ability to recover after an attack. But resilience also grows much earlier in schools, in skills, in trust, and in the ability of people and institutions to adapt. Estonia is ready to share the experience it has gained in digital education, in teaching, training, in the use of AI in education, in cyber hygiene and digital resilience. Not because Estonia has a model that can simply be copied. Every country has its own needs and conditions. But we can share what has worked, what has not, and what we have learned from building up broad digital potential across our society. For Ukraine, I feel this conversation is especially relevant. Reconstruction is not only about rebuilding what has been lost. It is also about making choices whose full impact may only be seen years later. What skills should every child have? How do we prepare teachers for technologies that are still evolving? How do we build up digital systems that citizens trust and that remain resilient under pressure? These are questions that Estonia is ready to explore with you. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Madam Karis. Estonia truly leads by example in terms of digital resilience, and thank you for sharing your experience. And now I'd like to pass the floor to the First Lady of Lithuania, Mrs. Daina Nausodenien. Excellency, the floor is yours.

Thank you. Dear Olena Zelenska, Esteemed First Ladies, representatives of Ukrainian institutions and organizations, representatives of international organizations, Ladies and gentlemen, certainty is our choice. It is the universal goal for life, for freedom of choice, for growing instead of destruction. One thing is certain when we speak about the times of uncertainty. The first thing we think about are conflicts and wars, dictators and totalitarian regimes, disruptive technologies. But the cause of uncertainty itself and the target of different powers is our mind, our perceptions, our understanding of reality, evaluation and conclusions, our further reactions. We, individuals, not anyone else, produce and multiply uncertainty in and by ourselves. while destroying the foundations of certainty, ethics, and its fundamental principles, social agreements, and social or legal responsibility of individuals. We, individuals, not anyone else, are doing it in our minds and in our local and global operating systems. Instead of honor of achievements and respect for the glory of development, values, and truth, the only sources which create added values to all societies. Different actors are producing fake manipulations by bullying, lying, exploiting in any area of operating. And those actors, we all as humanity, start to become destroyers instead of creators. In everyday life, it means negative disbalance, the halt of development of healthy social relationships and businesses as well. The paradox is obvious. We destroy quality of our daily life without noticing. that the active participation of ourselves in social erosion and blame politicians or authorities only. Ladies and gentlemen, times of uncertainty breed dictatorships. For people, it is natural to seek something stable. a firm hand, a stern word, an authority that would decide and serve on their behalf. In which country do totalitarian dictators have of people instead of strengthening regime of dictatorship? itself. And this is the biggest long-term miscalculation. Societies and people still do in their minds in 21st century. Without understanding that nature of dictatorship produces growing instability in itself. The dream of any totalitarian dictator, destruction of regional or global economy while gaining totalitarian power, is based on involving all world countries into a cycle of their internal losses. And we clearly see the result, certainty, of growing uncertainty in our world. Do we all understand the genesis of universal causes of instability and local differences, for example, of war in Ukraine? Totalitarian dictators start conflicts and wars to dominate or to cover up their internal weakness. Aggressors, in doing so, become even weaker, as they cannot stop the wars they created. Even if they win and dominate, the mindset of dictators, their operational codes, don't change into the ability and efforts to create. They cannot solve huge social, environmental, economic, and international problems, destruction, and misbalance they have produced. They cannot shape the world wisely and reasonably anymore. because they all programmed to create is destructive world and uncertainty. Sick world. What is really dangerous for us? Uncertainty is in our mind. Minds is the environment where the ideas of authoritarian regimes dictatorships start to prosper. And for many at first, it looks like the best solution for different societies, but it's not. Because the pathway of any dictatorship to totalitarianism is based on the erosion of humanism. Destruction of democracy in our societies and social values and principles in us, human beings, in any place on planet Earth, the only planet suitable for us all, despite our individual differences. Former Grand Duchy of Lithuania disappeared in the past, the Republic of Lithuania, the second one, which having emerged from the shadow of the Iron Curtain and escaped the totalitarian regime three decades ago, learned quickly that the window of opportunity for freedom, the window of opportunity for prosperity, The window of opportunity for humanism in the 21st century is still fragile. And we have learned that with the success, a sense of threat and uncertainty itself arises because of the of that success. Our success becomes frustrating, annoying evidence of weaknesses to any totalitarian regime, clearly exposing their own incapacities to dictators and trigger. We see it from our journey from a post-Soviet economy. Our path, without totalitarian regime, without the hand of dictator, became too vibrant example. Our state of forward-looking democracy, defined by a commitment to integrity, innovation, and the dignity of the individual demonstrates its power through impressive qualitative results. In three decades, just think about, in three decades of development, we have not only integrated into the European Union and NATO, but have also actively strengthened our position within the OECD. In terms of GDP per capita, measured at purchasing power parity, Lithuania has caught up with Japan because of talent, because of common spirit, powerful historical resilience, and agility of our people. It is a success story of a small country without any resources, based on free will and creativity of its own people. Even the bloodiest dictators at the end always lose their own freedom in the traps of uncertainty they create themselves to dominate and threaten others. Because their goal is always to build an environment in which they personally or limited vertical repression system can dominate and prosper at the expense of welfare, of society, humanity, and people. Ladies and gentlemen, the only way to stability in these times of uncertainty is protecting foundations of certainty, ethics, social and legal agreements. In Lithuania, our resilience comes from the capacity of individuals to trust one another, to learn, to adapt, and to act together for the welfare state. The President well understood that rapid and healthy economic growth cannot come in societies that strives for the firm hand and cannot come at the expense of social justice. We clearly see it now. The more inequality, exclusion, and poverty we allow to fester, the more fertile the ground becomes for radicals to empower hybrid manipulators, to exploit those on the margins in our country or with this information in the world, in other countries. Life proves that the welfare state vision the president of our country advocates for years is the way to solute stability and success for its people. Everyone of us has the potential and possibilities to become success stories. The ones that dictatorships could never be. Thank you. We wish you success.

Thank you, Madam First Lady, for Lithuania's very unique experience and highlighting how will for freedom, bravery and creativity can overcome totalitarian and dictatorship regimes. And now I would like to pass the floor to the spouse of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Malta for her intervention. Madam, the floor is yours. Mrs. Lidia Abela.

Thank you. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. It is a great honour to co-host today's meeting, building on the vibrant and vital conversation that happened in Kyiv this August. And it is a particular pleasure to welcome First Lady Olena Zelenska here today. As we discuss resilience, "reziljenza" in Maltese, The resilience you and the Ukrainian people have shown in recent years is an inspiration to us all. Today's event is described as finding stability in times of uncertainty. Now, I don't know about you, but uncertainty strikes me as a bit of diplomatic understatement. It's certainly an understatement of how the world feels. People are anxious and looking for leadership. because they see a world where ever more powerful global forces are buffeting all our nations. Technology, climate change, the mass movement of people, culture wars. I could go on. Given that list, my message today might be a bit of a surprise, because I want to focus on why, despite all the challenges, I remain an optimist. I'm an optimist, not just about the future of my own country, but for all of us. Because I've seen the resilience that our citizens are capable of. And it continues to inspire me. It's a resilience rooted not just in the darkest days of Malta's history, the Second World War, or on the streets of Ukraine today, but in the small acts that our people take every day to adapt. to support one another and to find strength in the face of change so they can believe in their future. So what is our approach as a country? Malta believes that respect for human rights and the dignity of all is fundamental to building peaceful, inclusive and resilient societies. We know that no country, regardless of its size, can face today's challenges alone. For Malta, resilience has always been closely linked to our ability to adapt and to work with others. That's why we need a rules-based system and why institutions like the United Nations, the Commonwealth, and the European Union matter. Protecting human dignity, equality, and fundamental freedoms while ensuring that no one is left behind strengthens the trust and social cohesion upon which resilient societies depend. That means ensuring access to education and essential services, empowering women and young people, strengthening social protection, and building trust between citizens and institutions. We know conflicts and crisis disproportionately affect those already in vulnerable situations, including women and girls, children, persons with disabilities, older persons, displaced persons and minorities. It's why we must always ensure their full, equal and meaningful participation in decisions that affect their lives. Malta also believes in the accountability that comes from the voices of campaigners, human rights defenders and an independent media. An open, inclusive and vibrant civil society is essential in identifying emerging challenges, amplifying the voices of affected communities and thereby strengthening public trust in institutions. Resilience does not mean closing down, but opening up. I have faith that we can trust our citizens to respond in the right way if we put our faith in them. It was a former British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, who said, "I'm an optimist, but an optimist who carries a raincoat." No question, there are plenty of storms around, and we have to be ready for the rain. But working together, we have enough umbrellas to go around. In conclusion, resilience is not simply about surviving a crisis. It is about being prepared before the crisis, supporting people through it, and ensuring that no one is left behind afterwards. Ultimately, resilience is about ensuring that even in uncertain times, people can continue to look to the future with confidence. Our circumstances may differ. Our aspirations are the same. Security, dignity, opportunity and hope. Malta is ready. I know. You are all ready. Together, let's build the resilient societies our citizens need and deserve. Thank you. Grazie, Hafna.

Thank you so much for sharing with us the Maltese resilienza and for highlighting how important it is to have the rule-based order and to protect human dignity and to safeguard equal participation in decision-making. Dear colleagues, we're a bit lagging behind time. I would like to ask you to be very short and crisp because we need to finish by 1 o'clock. And with this, I would like to pass the floor to the First Lady of Panama, Mrs. Maricel Coen de Molina, to present Panama's national concept of resilience. Thank you.

Good morning. Good morning, honorable Madam Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine and promoter of the Global Platform for First Ladies and Gentlemen. Dear First Ladies and Gentlemen, Excellencies, Ministers and Delegation, and my delegation from Panama, distinguished delegates, when I was asked what my country could add to this global language of resilience, I thought to myself, perhaps the best answer wasn't really by giving one definition. It was rather in the way we talk. Because language also tells the story of the people. Words that we repeat are stored in our experiences. Many times, the way we've learned, it is the way we've learned to face adversity. Panama, in Panama we say, sometimes you have to have thick skin, but maybe we also say, you have to resist thick skin. You have to face criticism, pressure, makes people making fun of you or difficult times without allowing this to paralyze us. But to have thick skin does not mean to stop, that you do not feel. It does not mean that you accept what's wrong. It doesn't mean that you have to harden your heart. We may have thick skin without losing awareness and sensitivity towards others and towards ourselves. After experience, after difficulty, another question arises that perhaps is more important. Panama now has found the answer. You have to move forward, keep on going. This means you look at the reality that perhaps we did not choose, but we ask ourselves, so what can I do now with what's happening to me? What can I do about it? And to ask ourselves that question may open up the way forward. And I see that all the time when I visit, when I visit all over Panama. I see a mother who loses a work, so she decides to learn a new trade so she can make money and help her children. I see that when somebody loses someone, but the next day they get up because there's a family that depends on them. When a family goes through difficulty in Panama, no one asks you whose problem this is. We all organize and help each other to face this problem together. That's how we understand that resilience is not only something individual. Resilience is also built together as a society. It's not enough to ask someone to be strong. we must also create opportunities for people to be able to pull themselves up again. If Panama could contribute an idea today there for this global vocabulary of resilience, then I would like it to be this. To be resilient is to allow ourselves to feel, to recognize our difficulties, but still be able to find the strength to move forward. Keep on going. Once we have hope again, when we believe once again in what we're capable of doing, and when we decide to give it our all, then we have another way of saying this in Panama. Let's put it all forward. Let's go for it. Thank you so much. Thick skin, move forward, let's all go with it.

Thank you, Jakson. That's the ACS experience. And now I'd like to pass the floor to the spouse of the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Mrs. Ushka Batzovnik-Jansha, to present Slovenia's national concept of resilience. Madam, the floor is yours.

Dear friends, dear Mrs. Zelenska, it's a great honor to be here with you today. I bring to you the experience of small country nestled between the southern slopes of the Alps and the northern shores of the Mediterranean. We have a very diverse landscape, which I believe is a gift of resilience. But our history also reminds us that peace and stability should never be taken for granted. In 1991, Slovenia experienced a war for independence. We were brave. prepared, reasonable, and importantly, well led. At that time, my husband was serving as Minister of Defense. Ukraine has all of these qualities today. And this is why Ukraine is succeeding. You were told that Ukraine would be completely taken over within 14 days. That did not happen, and it never will. In the first days of Russian aggression, my husband, at that time Prime Minister as well, traveled to Kyiv together with the Prime Minister of Poland and the President of the Czech Republic. By going there, we demonstrated our support and stood alongside the Ukrainian people, reinforcing their courage and determination. There is one key message that I would like to share in these difficult and uncertain times. Together, we are stronger. Friendship is essential to strength, and knowing that we are not alone gives us the courage to continue. In Slovenia, we have many voluntary and community organizations, which in times of peace and stability, primarily bring people together. strengthen connections and create a sense of belonging. But when difficult times come, these connections can become a powerful driving force for resilience and success. In Slovenia, this spirit is deeply rooted in our society. It is demonstrated by our strong voluntary organization of firefighters, of which I was a part of 20 years. voluntary blood donation, everybody who donates blood is entitled to a prize day of work, and volunteer mountain rescue service and many other volunteer organizations. Their message is clear, a sense of belonging to a community is a source of courage and resilience. We saw this during the COVID-19 pandemic as well. During these two years, I worked as a physician in the emergency department and in the intensive care unit. Those were extremely demanding and uncertain times. We entered the pandemic unprepared, as did many countries around the world. Yet, what helped us endure was the strong sense of solidarity among healthcare professionals and medical staff. and our shared commitment to one another and to our patients. We supported one another and we understood that in a crisis, no one can truly stand alone. This experience taught me something that goes far beyond healthcare. The sense of belonging and connection that we build with our communities in peaceful times is one of the most important investments we can make in resilience for difficult times. And last, a key word in the dictionary of resilience, I would add the word family and mother. I will tell you why. The deportation of forcible transfer of Ukrainian children and their enforced disappearance are crimes against humanity. We must stand together and fight for every child to be returned to his or her parents and family. Because every child belongs in the loving embrace of their family. No one should ever be allowed to take their right away. We must continue to speak loudly about this and raise public awareness. Dear Elena, you are proof that a strong woman and mother and united family can overcome everything, even in times of war. I believe peace will come soon. I wish you to remain strong till then and courageous. We will stand by your side. Thank you.

Thank you, Your Excellency, for a very emotional and beautiful speech, and also for highlighting the issue of abducted Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation, a grave breach of international law. We definitely need to return each and every child back home to Ukraine. And these are war crimes committed by Russia. With this, I would like to pass the floor to the First Lady of Romania, Mrs. Mirabela Gradinaru, to present Romania's National Concept of Resilience. Thank you.

Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Romania is honored to stand out today, once again, alongside Ukraine, bringing to the United Nations a conversation that began in Kyiv on August 24th. When we met in Kyiv last month, we brought with us words from different languages, histories, and cultures. words carrying the weight of what our societies have been through. Yet beyond the uniqueness of each national experience, we are speaking about something profoundly universal, something that holds a society together when certainty gives way to uncertainty. Out of that exchange came something rare in diplomacy, not a declaration, but a vocabulary. I would therefore like to thank Mrs. Olena Zelenska for bringing our different national experiences together into a shared global vocabulary of resilience. Romania contributed to that vocabulary with one word, "durzine." It means determination and courage, the strength to stand firm through hardship without losing our dignity, our values, our sense of responsibility towards others. For Romania's history has shaped this understanding of resilience and carried it across generation. We have learned that resilience is rarely one extraordinary act of courage. More often, it is the sum of 1,000 ordinary decisions not to give up. In Kyiv, We shared for the first time the meaning of Drzenje and the story behind it. Today, here at the United Nations, let me share that story with you once again to show where this idea comes from and where it lives today. Please turn your attention to the screen.

Before Drzenje became a word, it became a choice. Others are remembered by those they inspired. Derzhenya does not always carry a sword. Sometimes it simply refuses to stop searching. It walks one more mountain. It keeps one more promise. It returns home. Pressure changes. The instinct remains. Generation after generation, Romanians discovered that preserving who you are is sometimes the greatest act of courage. Today, the Resilient no longer belongs to history. It belongs to ordinary people, to those who keep building, keep caring, keep teaching, keep returning. People often think resilience means surviving one extraordinary moment, but we learned it also means surviving a thousand ordinary ones.

What you have just seen tells a Romanian story. It reminds us that standing firm is a choice we must make again and again. It is made by a teacher who keeps a village school alive, by a doctor who serves a small community, by a family that chooses to return home. This is the part of resilience that rarely makes into the press releases. Yet, it is precisely where the strength of a society begins. Resilience is the strength to withstand a crisis and the quiet resolve to remain true to yourself through the daily pressure of ordinary life. and its meaning reaches far beyond Romania. This is why this initiative matters. Madam Zelenska, you did not ask us simply to describe our histories. You asked us to name the instinct that helps our societies move through them. And as we listen to the experience of other countries here, something became clear, our words may be different, but much of what they describe is shared. The determination to protect what matters, the capacity to preserve dignity under pressure, the responsibility to stand by others, and the courage to continue. When we place those words next to one another, we begin to see something larger than any individual national experience seen. We begin to see the human architecture of resilience, And this is particularly important today in a world in which uncertainty is no longer exceptional. War, displacement, rapid technological change, and declining trust increasingly overlap. In such a world, resilience cannot mean simply becoming better at enduring crisis after crisis. Preparedness and resources are indeed crucial. But societies also depend on something more difficult to measure: trust, solidarity, and confidence that our values still matter when they become difficult to defend. Ukraine has demonstrated this with extraordinary courage. Every day, Ukrainians defend their homes, their freedom, their identity, and their future. Romania has stood with Ukraine from the beginning, welcoming Ukrainian families and children, supporting humanitarian efforts, and strengthening regional cooperation. And this experience has reminded us of a simple truth. Solidarity is not only what resilient societies receive. Solidarity is also what resilient societies give. No society has all the answers. and no nation wants the definition of resilience. But every society carries knowledge shaped by what it has survived, what it has protected, and what it has learned. Resilience may exist in different languages, but ultimately, it speaks to the same human instinct to protect what matters, to stand by one another, and to keep moving forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam, for sharing Romania's perception of resilience and for supporting Ukraine. And with this, I would like to pass the floor to the First Lady of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Mrs. Delthea Russell-Missick, to present the national concept of resilience. Thank you.

Distinguished First Ladies and gentlemen, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, there is an all African proverbs that many of us know. It takes a village to raise a child. I have always loved that proverbs because there is such a simple truth in those few words. None of us raises a child alone. None of us build a community alone. And certainly, none of us can build a nation or a more peaceful and stable world alone. We need one another. And perhaps in a world that has become so complicated, so fast moving, and at times so divided, we need to remind ourselves of that simple truth. We need one another. It seems especially fitting to reflect on that here in New York, one of the great meeting places of the world, a city surrounded by skyscrapers that speak to the human ambition, innovation, and progress. This city is shaped over generations by people who came from almost everywhere, from great cities and small villages, from large nations and tiny islands, They brought with them their cultures, their traditions, their hopes, and their dreams. And together, their stories helped to build this remarkable city. So even here, in one of the most modern cities in the world, there is something of the village around us. Because beneath the buildings, beneath the technology, and beneath the extraordinary achievements of human beings, A city is still built by people, by relationships, by trust, and by what people are able to accomplish together. When I think about our theme, World 26, finding stability in times of uncertainty, my thoughts keep running to those values of the village and to the lessons they may still hold for us today. I come from the Turks and Caicos Islands, a small chain of islands about 90 miles away from Miami, Florida, and just about three hours from New York. We are a chain of approximately 40 islands and keys of which eight are inhabited, surrounded by one of the largest barrier reefs in the world, and blessed with some of the most beautiful turquoise waters and powdery white sandy beaches on the planet. I may be a little biased in saying that, but I think I'm allowed to be. But those of us who live on those islands also understand something very well. Mother Nature can bless you, and it can also test you. The same waters that surround us with such extraordinary beauty can become part of a force that tests our resilience, our courage, and our fortitude. And in those moments, we are reminded that the strength of a country is not measured only by what it possesses or what it has built. It is also measured by the strength and character of its people. Life in many ways is much the same. It brings blessings, but it also brings moments that test us, some without warning, And in oftentimes, there are moments that we discover what truly holds us together. The Turks and Caicos Islands has had its share of those moments. In 2008, Hurricane Hannah and Ike struck our islands within days of each other. Then in 2017, we were tested again by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. And then, of course, COVID-19. came right after, a very different kind of storm, one that brought uncertainty to our homes, affected our livelihoods, and placed enormous pressure on our small island economy. Yet, in each of those moments, something very familiar happened. Our people came together. Neighbors checked on neighbors, families supported other families, Communities looked after the most vulnerable, and differences that may have seemed important before adversities suddenly mattered less. We adapted, we rebuilt, and we moved forward. And in many ways, we returned to the village. Whether it is a hurricane, a recession, a pandemic, the effects of climate change, or another natural or man-made crisis, In the final analysis, we find ourselves drawn on many of the same fundamentals. The strength of our families, the strength of our communities, our willingness to look out for one another, our ability to put differences aside when circumstances demanded it, and the trust that allows us to work together towards common purposes. Our experience in the Turks and Caicos Islands has shown us that these things matter. They have helped us through storms, through economic uncertainty, through global pandemics, and they have reminded us time and time again that resilience is not only about the strength of our infrastructure or the resources at our disposal. It is about the strength of the relationships between people. And perhaps that is one of the most important lessons of the village. Long before we spoke about resilience in the language we use today, our communities understood something very similar. When one person struggles, someone steps forward. When one family was in difficulty, others helped carry their burden. And when the community itself tested, people understood that they had a better chance of coming through it together than they ever would apart. That is why, even as our countries develop and our world become more technologically advanced, more interconnected, and more complex, I feel that we must not lose those fundamentals. We have to build on them. We have to adapt them to the realities of the world in which we now live. And perhaps most importantly, we have to extend the same sense of shared responsibility beyond the village, beyond our communities, and beyond our borders. As a First Lady, there is something that I have come to appreciate in a very personal way. It is a tremendous privilege, but it is also a demanding responsibility because it places you close enough to leadership to appreciate the weight of difficult decisions while at the same time giving you the privilege of meeting people whose lives are touched by those decisions. You hear their worries. You hear their hopes. And if you listen closely to those encounters, they will teach you something. They teach you humility. They teach you empathy. And they remind you that behind every policy, every international issue, there are human beings, people who simply want what all of us want, for People that we love, we want safety, we want dignity, opportunity and hope. I feel that particularly when I think about our children and the world we are preparing for them, whatever titles we carry, whatever positions we occupy, we must never become so removed from ordinary people that we can no longer hear them, see them, or understand what they are carrying. And when I think about that, it seems to me that the same is true of the relationships between nations. We have to be willing to listen to one another. to understand one another's experiences, and to recognize that there is something we can learn from each other, regardless of the size of the country we come from. The Turks and Caicos Islands is small, and we certainly do not pretend to have all the answers, but we have to learn from much larger countries and from one another. but we also have experiences, traditions, and perspectives that we can share. And that is the spirit in which I believe we must approach partnership, not as large nations and small nations occupying different worlds, but as countries that need one another, and that we can become stronger and more resilient by working together. Maya Angelou reminds us, "We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike." And in a world where division can sometimes seem easier than dialogue, those words are worth remembering. That is why occasions such as this matter. They give us the opportunity not simply to speak about unity, but to practice it. by listening to one another, by learning from one another, and by asking a very important question, how can I help or how can we help each other build stronger communities and a more resilient nation? For me, and I would like to think for all of us, Defining stability and uncertainty is not about trying to create a world in which uncertainty no longer exists. Because history tells us that there is always going to be another storm, another challenge, another change that we cannot fully anticipate. So perhaps stability is not about eliminating uncertainty. Perhaps it is about strengthening our capacity to face it when it comes. And our experience has taught us that part of that capacity lies in the relationships we build before crisis, the trust we establish between people and institutions, and the partnership we develop between nations. Resilience is not something we should discover only after adversities arrive. It is something we should build every day. The old proverbs tells us, it takes a village to raise a child. Our world today may be larger, faster, and more complicated than the village that first gave us those words. But the principle remains, we still need one another. Perhaps our task now is to take the best of what the village has taught us, to strengthen it for the world in which we live today, and to do something even greater, to make the village larger. A village without borders, a village built on trust, a village built on partnership, a village built on compassion, a village where one of us If one of us is tested, we all stand together. Because ultimately, our greatest strength is not found in what separates us. It is found in what we can accomplish together. I thank you.

Thank you, Your Excellency, for a very powerful statement. Dear ladies and gentlemen, we need to conclude in two minutes, literally, because of the time limitation. And also, the President of Ukraine will speak at the UNGA. But we have a number of high dignitaries, participants from the floor. Let me just name them. Serbia, First Lady of Serbia, Honduras, First Lady of Honduras, United Arab Emirates, Secretary General of the General Women's Union, UNICEF, Global Director of Emergency Program, Costa Rica, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Liechtenstein, Her Excellency and we have one brief remark from the First Lady of Serbia, Mrs. Tamara Vucic. Please, the floor is yours. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Dear Olena, dear colleagues, First Ladies, dear friends. We have all agreed today that we live in the world of uncertainty and unpredictability. And we have agreed that the question is no longer whether we will face profound challenges, but how prepared and how strong we will be when they come. This is a kind of wrapping up today's event. To me, resilience means that even in times of crisis, a society remains exactly that, a society and a community. Social cohesion and national unity are therefore among the foundations of resilience. But unity does not mean uniformity or the absence of different opinions. Quite the opposite. Resilient societies return and turn diversity into strength, building upon what connects them, a shared identity and a sense of belonging. For centuries, gatherings, as we say in Serbia, sabori, have been an important part of the resilience of the Serbian people. In Kyiv, I spoke about Slava, a family gathering in honor of its patron saint, a tradition deeply rooted in our heritage. In a way, sabori are our largest Slavas, like gatherings and celebration of villages, towns, or even an entire country. One such gathering is the Vuk assembly or Vukov Sabor held since 1933 and regarded as the oldest cultural manifestation in Serbia. It is dedicated to Vuk Stefanovic Karadzic, the great reformer of the Serbian language. And language, of course, is one of the deepest and most enduring expressions of a people's identity. Through our Cyrillic script, We have preserved our national memory for centuries in books, on monuments, and on the walls of our churches and monasteries. There is something else deeply characteristic of my people, a quality we proudly call inat. It is very difficult to translate it, but inat embodies defiance and the determination not to yield in the face of injustice or hardship. For centuries, it has been our psychological shield, a way of transforming fear into inner strength and pressure into resistance. Slava, sabor, language, script, inat, they're all threads of the same fabric. They preserve our sense of belonging and help us remain true to ourselves, even in the times of great adversity. Because when we know who we are and where we come from, we can see more clearly where we are going and better understand and respect the differences of others. That is why Serbia does not protect its identity from the world. It proudly brings that identity into the world, open to friendship, cooperation, and mutual understanding. A resilient society is not one that faces no challenges, as we heard today. It is one that, even in times of adversity, does not lose itself and finds its strength in the ability to build the future together. Olena, thank you once again for bringing us together over and over again and for putting new challenges in front of us with new ideas and new initiatives. Thank you.

Thank you, Yaxcensy, for sharing unique service experience and also your reflections on resilience. Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues, we need to conclude and I would like to express our gratitude to each and every participant for sharing with us your national experience of resilience. Please join who hasn't joined the vocabulary of resilience. And also I would like to say huge thanks on my behalf as a moderator to our First Lady, Olena Zelenska, for for a real symbol of resilience of Ukraine. Thank you for being with us today. And I would like to invite everyone for a family photo. Thank you.