In 2020, through the UN 75 Declaration,  Member States requested recommendations on how to address current and future challenges, and restore trust in multilateralism. In September 2021, the Secretary-General responded with his report, Our Common  Agenda, a wake-up call to speed up the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and propel discussions for inclusive, networked, and effective multilateralism to better respond and deliver for the people and planet. The report, therefore, called for a Summit of the Future to forge a new global consensus on readying ourselves for a future rife with risks but also opportunities, which was welcomed by the General Assembly and scheduled for 22-23 September 2024.

 

Current progress on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals is insufficient to meet established global targets. The world faces rising challenges, with an accelerating speed and complexity of global developments, and the benefits of advancement are not reaching the majority, with vulnerable groups being most affected.

There are also escalating threats, such as growing instances of extreme poverty and hunger, record-high global emissions and human displacement, increasing threats: climate change, conflict, food security, WMDs, pandemics, health crises, and tech risks.

 

And traditional multilateral governance systems seem to be struggling in today's dynamic, interconnected world.

 

The Summit of the Future is an opportunity to redirect our course towards a more effective and equitable future. It aims to address current and future global challenges, renew trust and solidarity, revitalize multilateralism, forge a new, more inclusive and effective approach to global governance, with a focus on sustainable development, peace, and security.

 

We already have the "what" in the form of many existing agreements and commitments, starting with the UN Charter and including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and many others. The Summit of the Future will look at the "how" – how do we cooperate better to deliver on the above aspiration and goals? How do we better meet the needs of the present while also preparing for the challenges of the future?

 

This Summit represents a venue for civil society organizations to influence global policy and ensure that the voices of hostirically marginalized communities are heard.

 

The President of the General Assembly has appointed Germany and Namibia as co-facilitators of the intergovernmental preparatory process of the Summit of the Future.

The outcome of the Summit of the Future will be an inter-governmentally agreed Pact for the Future, along with two appendices: A Declaration on Future Generations and A Global Digital Compact. The Pact will both step up existing commitments and address most pressing new challenges and gaps.

 

The Summit's agenda is structured around 5 key themes, meant to reflect the most urgent global issues.

 

The deliberations and outcome of the UN Civil Society Conference in Nairobi (May 9 - 10) is set to serve as a contribution for Member States as they work towards the outcome of the Summit, the Pact for the Future.