On 22 September 2024, at the UN Summit for the Future, world leaders
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 along with its
annexes, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future
Generations, was adopted by consensus to chart out a peaceful,
sustainable and inclusive future.
The Resolution was adopted
despite a last-minute proposal for an amendment by some countries,
including Russia, Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)
and Syria. The amendment sought to incorporate text calling for
non-intervention in any issue of national sovereignty, and the primacy
of intergovernmental deliberation, in effect, downplaying the role of
the civil society or private sector interests. It was rejected after the
193-member Assembly decided not to act on the proposal.
Pact for the Future
The
Pact’s five broad focus areas include: sustainable development;
international peace and security; science and technology; youth and
future generations and transforming global governance. This has become
an urgent pivot, as multilateral financial institutions and even the
United Nations itself have come up short seeking solutions to 21st
century problems, the pact lays out.
By endorsing the Pact, UN Member States pledged, among other things, to:
•
Turbocharge the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris
Agreement on climate change, two landmark 2015 agreements that have seen
halting progress and missed milestones
• Listen to young people and include them in decision-making, at the national and global levels
• Build stronger partnerships with civil society, the private sector, local and regional authorities and more
• Redouble efforts to build and sustain peaceful, inclusive and just societies and address the root causes of conflicts
• Protect all civilians in armed conflict
• Accelerate the implementation of our commitments on women, peace and security
Global Digital Compact
The
Global Digital Compact marks the first truly worldwide agreement on the
international regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) and is founded
on the idea that technology should benefit everyone. It outlines
commitments to ensure that digital technologies contribute to
sustainable development and human rights, while addressing risks like
digital divides, cybersecurity, and misuse of technology.
The
Compact aims to bridge the digital divide and ensure AI technologies are
used responsibly, fostering global cooperation on both AI capabilities
and security threats. Governments are also obligated to form an
impartial worldwide Scientific Panel on AI and start an international
conversation about AI governance inside the UN.
Declaration on Future Generations
The
Declaration on Future Generations focuses on securing the well-being of
future generations, also highlighting the need to include their
interests in decision-making processes. It also underlines the
importance of protecting the environment, promoting intergenerational
equity, and ensuring that long-term consequences of today’s actions are
considered.