On 22 and 23 September 2024, world leaders gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the Summit of the Future, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build back trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively tackle current and upcoming challenges. Following months of negotiations co-facilitated by the Governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Namibia leading up to the Summit, UN Member States adopted the Pact for the Future, a landmark declaration pledging concrete actions towards a safer, more peaceful, sustainable and inclusive world for tomorrow’s generations.
The Pact for the Future, along with its annexes, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations, covers a broad range of themes including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance. During the two-day Summit of the Future, a series of interactive dialogues and plenary sessions further explored the commitments outlined in the Pact. Priority areas discussed included updating antiquated intergovernmental organizations, such as major multilateral development banks and the UN itself, reforming the Security Council, maximizing the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies while mitigating their risks, and, above all, revitalizing the global efforts to eradicate poverty and inequality.
Furthermore, to generate opportunities for the engagement of various stakeholders including civil society, private sector, academia, local and regional authorities, youth, and more, the Summit of the Future Action Days were held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 20 and 21 September 2024. Read more about UN SDG Action Campaign’s involvement here.
World leaders applauded the adoption of the Pact of the Future at the Summit of the Future, calling it a crucial step in global efforts to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Philémon Yang, President of the 79th session of the General Assembly, pointed out that the outcome documents of the Summit of the Future “outline commitments to accelerate progress across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and usher in a future that is more peaceful, just and resilient”. Dr. Nangolo Mbumba, President of the Republic of Namibia, highlighted the importance of “renewed commitments and concrete action plans to eradicate poverty, eliminate hunger, tackle climate change, and build a global economy that works for all” emerging from the Pact for the Future.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that with the Pact and its annexes, “we have unlocked the door to our common future. Now it’s our common responsibility to walk through it” and emphasized that the adoption of the Pact sends a strong signal that we can overcome today’s seemingly insurmountable differences and divisions if we unite to work for the common good. He outlined that “with a spirit of dialogue and compromise”, as seen during the Summit of the Future, “we can join forces to steer our world to a more sustainable path.” Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, described the Pact for the Future as “a compass whose needle points towards more cooperation and partnership, instead of towards more conflict and fragmentations.”
Moving forward, the milestones such as the 2024 G20 Rio de Janeiro summit, COP 29 in Baku, and next year’s Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) and Second World Summit for Social Development will be key to strengthen commitments made in the Pact for the Future and implement reforms that can recalibrate our economies and societies to better serve people and the planet.
