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CEO Perspective

Speech – The 49th Union World Conference Opening Ceremony

Your Imperial Highness, Your Royal Highness, Your Excellencies, Mayor of The Hague, distinguished delegates, and honoured guests.

On behalf of The Union, welcome, everyone to the 49th Union World Conference on Lung Health. I would like to express my gratitude to the government of The Netherlands.

Also to our local hosts, KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation and to the City of The Hague, for their warm hospitality and for their strong support for the Union World Conference.

I am thrilled to announce that, thanks to all of you here tonight, this year’s conference will be the most highly attended Union World Conference in our history.

The Hague is a global centre of human rights and justice and is the perfect place to host this conference on Declaring Our Rights: Social and Political Solutions.

As we learn about the latest and best science in tuberculosis and lung health this week, and as we meet with our colleagues and friends, I know that our minds will be united in common questions:

–  How do we translate what we learn this week into the social and political solutions to end TB?

– How do we stop the suffering caused by tobacco, by pneumonia, by asthma, by COPD, by the air pollution choking our cities all around the world?

I look at all of us gathered here, and I know those solutions are within us… and I know that in working together, we can bring those solutions back out into the world.

Thank you for the effective work that you do. Thank you for coming to the 49th Union World Conference on Lung Health.