Summit of the Future
United Nations, New York
22-23 September 2024
Report by IEF
Summit of the Future
The proposal for a Summit of the Future originated in the Our Common Agenda report. The report was a response by the UN Secretary-General to a call from Member States for ideas on how better to respond to current and future challenges.
The Common Agenda report called for a renewal of trust and solidarity at all levels – between peoples, countries and generations. It made the case for a fundamental rethink of our political, economic and social systems so that they deliver more fairly and effectively for everyone. It also recommended a corresponding renewal of the multilateral system, with the Summit of the Future as a defining moment to agree on the most critical improvements necessary.
The Summit was a high-level event, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how to deliver a better present and safeguard the future.
Effective global cooperation is increasingly critical to our survival but difficult to achieve in an atmosphere of mistrust, using outdated structures that no longer reflect today’s political and economic realities. This once-in-a-generation opportunity served as a moment to mend eroded trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively achieve agreed goals and tackle emerging threats and opportunities.
On 22-23 September 2024, world leaders convened at the United Nations to adopt the Pact for the Future, which includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations as annexes.
SOURCE: based on https://www.un.org/en/summit-of-the-future/about
Civil society involvement
There was a long preparatory process, with wide consultation leading to a zero draft of the Pact for the Future and negotiations among governments through five successive drafts, where governments could propose additional text, or under the consensus rule ask for the deletion of anything with which they disagreed as not in their national interest. The text became considerably shorter and more general, with many generalities but few specific commitments.
Alongside the intergovernmental process, civil society organizations, coordinated through the Coalition for the UN we need (C4UN) and a Road to the Summit discussion series co-organized by Dan Perell of the Bahá’í International Community (and an IEF member), prepared a People’s Pact for the Future with much more ambition that the intergovernmental Pact.
Many Civil Society organizations planned activities in New York or online alongside the UN Summit, including the Bahá’í International Community (BIC), International Environment Forum (IEF), Global Governance Forum (GGF), Climate Governance Commission (CGC) and Mobilizing an Earth Governance Alliance (MEGA) which were frequently co-sponsored by IEF.
These activities were generally more hopeful than the official process, demonstrating great imagination and enthusiasm, and the abundant energy available in civil society, especially among the youth. The International Environment Forum held four virtual events as its 28th International Conference.
The Global Governance Forum launched its proposed draft for a Second UN Charter, that incorporates the ‘missing pillar’ of environmental and planetary health into the Charter for the first time. It proposes a new Earth System Council as the 4th pillar of the UN, bridges a critical gap in environmental governance and seeks to remedy the very significant fragmentation in this domain to provide overall direction for this immensely important area of governance and problem solving for the future of the planet. The new Charter also elevates the level of protection and advancement of human rights and fosters enhanced ownership and more direct participation in the United Nations.
The Bahá’í International Community organized and hosted many events at its office across from the UN. It issued a new BIC statement on UN reform: Embracing Interdependence: Foundations for a World in Transition. Other events were on:
- The Role of the General Assembly in Strengthening Peace and Security
- The Road through the Summit of the Future: Generating ImPact from the Pact for the Future
- Room for Optimism: A Precondition for Success in Challenging Times
- From Words to Action: A Networked Approach to Upholding Commitments from the Summit of the Future.
Action Days 20-21 September
To generate additional opportunities for the engagement of all actors, the Secretary-General of the United Nations convened the Summit of the Future Action Days on 20 and 21 September 2024 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Bringing together representatives from Member States, civil society, private sector, academia, local and regional authorities, youth, and many more, the Action Days provided an opportunity for broad engagement and inclusion. These stakeholders all played a key role in shaping the Pact for the Future and will be critical to its implementation.
The Action Days started with a dedicated, youth-led afternoon followed by a Saturday programme which focused on three priority themes – digital and technology, peace and security, and sustainable development and financing. In addition to the three themes, there was also a dedicated focus throughout the day on future generations. Participants included Heads of State and Government, Ministers, senior UN officials including the Secretary General, Nobel Laureates and representatives from the private sector, civil society and other actors.
In parallel to the Action Days, a limited number of high-level side events, organized by UN Member States, UN entities, relevant International Organizations and stakeholder networks working in partnership took place during the Summit of the Future Action Days on 20 and 21 September.
Pact for the Future
The high level intergovernmental Summit of the Future itself was held on 22-23 September 2024 as part of the UN General Assembly. The Pact nearly failed to be adopted when Russia tried to block its approval at the last minute, but was overruled by 143 to 7 with 15 abstentions. The Pact was then adopted by world leaders by consensus on 22 September.
The Pact for the Future includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations (A/RES/79/1). The Pact 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.
The United Nations said that the Pact for the Future marks a major step toward reforming global governance and strengthening international cooperation. It serves as a blueprint for a more inclusive, resilient, and effective international system. The agreement’s non-binding nature raised concerns about implementation, but its ambitious goals offer a renewed sense of hope and direction for global cooperation.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres hailed the Pact for the Future as a landmark achievement. “This pact should not become another futile exercise, but must garner political will and commitment across all levels of global leadership to pragmatically address current issues and lay a foundation for solutions for our future global progress and challenges. We cannot shape a future fit for our grandchildren with a system built by our grandparents.”
He highlighting the need for modernized international institutions to effectively address today’s realities. The Pact represents the most comprehensive global agreement in decades, tackling both longstanding issues and entirely new challenges to ensure a more just, sustainable, and peaceful future.
Speaking at the opening of the UN General Assembly on 24 September, the Secretary-General called on world leaders to support comprehensive reforms of the UN system, warning that the current structure is ill-equipped to address the global challenges of the 21st century. Guterres emphasized the need to overhaul the UN Security Council and other global institutions to reflect today’s geopolitical realities. Without these reforms, global institutions risked losing credibility and legitimacy. “Those with political and economic power are always reluctant to change,” he said, “but without reform, fragmentation is inevitable.”
Guterres pointed to the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and the Middle East as evidence that the current system needs to reflect today’s geopolitical realities, including a permanent seat for Africa on the Security Council, urging member states to reaffirm their commitment to international law and the UN Charter. “It is time to consider revising the Charter comprehensively,” he said.
SOURCE: based in part on https://c4unwn.org/press-releases/
Evaluation
Looked at objectively, the final version of the Pact for the Future after extensive editing by the intergovernmental negotiations is mostly a compilation of existing commitments without many specifics on implementation. It is weak on the science and urgency of the planetary crisis we are facing. There is no questioning of the political and economic system, and the responsibility of its actors. It still reinforces this system, not insisting on a fundamental transformation. It could be seen as an admission that multilateralism is failing, with so little progress.
On the other hand, it integrates both long-standing and emerging issues, and reinforces the implementation of the SDGs. The environment is present without any emphasis, only mentioned three times, while climate change features five times.
Where do we go from here?
Dan Perell of the BIC said: “global attention is turning toward the pivotal decisions that will shape the next chapter in international cooperation and governance. The Pact for the Future will serve as a roadmap for global reforms in the coming years.”
Maria Fernanda Espinosa, the 75th President of the UN General Assembly said “The Summit marks the beginning of a much longer journey—a journey that will push the United Nations and the world toward long-term multilateral reform. From reforms of the UN Security Council to the governance of emerging technologies, the Summit has raised the stakes for what’s at play.” A critical issue raised throughout the discussions has been the need to rebuild trust in the United Nations.
The Pact for the Future is 61 pages long with details on 56 specific actions, the Global Digital Compact with 5 objectives, and the Declaration on Future Generations.
Pact for the Future full text
Pact for the Future summary of what it would deliver: https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/our-common-agenda-summit-of-t… and on IEF website
Last updated 2 October 2024