Is there another way the world could be run? And in the face so much global turmoil, how can we make the future fairer? This September, a major event at UN Headquarters is being billed as once in a generation opportunity for the international community to grapple with these questions, and forge a new path, for the benefit of all.
1. What is the Summit of the Future?
The Summit was conceived at the height of the?COVID-19?pandemic, when there was a perception at the UN that, rather than cooperating to face this global threat that affected all of us, countries and people pulled apart.
UN Member States tasked?Secretary-General Ant車nio Guterres?to come up with a vision for the future of global cooperation. His answer to their call was ※Our Common Agenda§, a landmark report with recommendations on renewed global cooperation to address a host of risks and threats, and a proposal to hold a forward-looking summit in 2024.
The event will consist of sessions and plenaries based around five main tracks (sustainable development and financing; peace and security; a digital future for all; youth and future generations; and global governance), and other topics that cut across all of the work of the UN, including human rights, gender equality and the climate crisis.
The immediate outcome will be a finalised version of a?Pact for the Future, with a?Global Digital Compact?and a?Declaration for Future Generations?in annex, all of which are expected to be adopted by Member States during the Summit.
2. Why does the Summit matter?
Because, although these themes have been addressed in the past, and groundbreaking accords such as the??on climate and the?Sustainable Development Goals?have been reached, there is a widespread perception that the structures of the UN, many of which were established decades ago, are no longer sufficiently fair or effective.
The?Summit of the Future?offers a chance to deliver more fully on promises that have already been made, to ready the international community for the world to come, and to restore trust.
3. Who are the key players?
The Summit will be preceded by two?Action Days, also held at UN Headquarters, where representatives from civil society, private sector, academia, local and regional authorities, youth, Member States and many more, will have the chance to engage in the main themes of the event.
4. What happens next?
After the Summit, the focus will shift to implementing the recommendations and pledges contained within the Pact for the Future. In November, Azerbaijan will host the UN Climate Conference (), where climate financing will be high on the agenda; December sees the?UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in Botswana, where solutions for sustainable development will be sought; and next June, efforts to reform the international financial architecture (including bodies such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, which decide how, and under which conditions, to provide loans, grants and technical assistance to developing countries) will be stepped up in Spain, at the International Conference on Financing for Development ().
5. How can I get involved?
Act Now?is the UN＊s global campaign to encourage all people to advocate for a better, more peaceful and sustainable future. The platform aims to increase the numbers of those who are speaking up and making a positive difference, whether it＊s by volunteering in their local community, taking part in local decision-making, or simply changing their personal habits of consumption to live more environmentally responsible lives.
In the lead up to the Summit, the UN Youth Office is also galvanizing young people and allies by launching?, an appeal to world leaders to make global policymaking more representative of the communities they serve.
This article was adapted from UN News. You can .
