1 What is the Future Summit?
In 2020, the United Nations turns 75 and marks the occasion by starting a global conversation about hopes and fears for the future.
This was the beginning of a process that would eventually lead to the convocation four years later. Summit of the Futurea key event this September, which will take place at United Nations Headquarters, just ahead of the annual high-level debate of the General Assembly.
The summit was formed at the height of COVID-19 pandemic, when the United Nations realized that, instead of working together to face a global threat that affects us all, countries and people were falling apart.
“We are really facing a gap between the aspirations of the founders, which we are trying to celebrate at the 75th anniversary, and the reality of the world as it is today,” said Michele Griffin, policy director at the summit. “The problems we face, the threats, but also the opportunities, and the imperfections in how we respond.”
The United Nations member states are tasked with Secretary-General António Guterres to offer a vision for the future of global cooperation. His answer to their call was “Our common agenda”, a landmark report with recommendations for new global cooperation to address multiple risks and threats, and a proposal for a forward-looking summit in 2024.
The event will include sessions and plenary sessions around five key themes (sustainable development and finance; peace and security; a digital future for all; youth and future generations; and global governance) and other topics relevant to all UN activities, including human rights, gender equality and the climate crisis.
The immediate result will be a finished version of a Treaty for the futurewith one Global Digital Pact and one Statement for future generations in the annex, all of which are expected to be adopted by member states at the Summit.
2 Why is the Summit important?
Because, although these topics have been addressed in the past and groundbreaking agreements such as Paris Agreement on climate and Sustainable Development Goals has been achieved, there is a widespread perception that the structures of the United Nations, many of which were established decades ago, are no longer sufficiently equitable or effective.
The Summit of the Future offers an opportunity to more fully deliver on the promises made, prepare the international community for the new world and restore trust.
“The most important ingredient in international cooperation is trust,” said Michele Griffin. “Trust in each other. A sense of our common humanity, our interconnectedness. And the summit is designed to remind all of us, not just governments and not just the people who will be at the United Nations in New York in September, but everyone, that we have to work together to solve our biggest common problems.”
Greta Thunberg (center), 16-year-old climate activist from Sweden, joins other young climate activists during the FridaysForFuture protest in front of the United Nations Headquarters on August 30, 2019.
3 Who are the key players?
The summit will open with two Day of Actionalso held at the United Nations Headquarters, where representatives from civil society, the private sector, academia, local and regional governments, youth, Member States and many others will have the opportunity to engage on the key themes of the event.
“You look at the United Nations and you think governments are the key players,” Griffin said. “And that’s true. They’re the ones sitting around the table, but they’re doing it on behalf of their people.”
“Civil society actors, young people have been involved and will be at the summit,” Griffin explained. “The private sector will be here to recognize the enormous role they play in shaping the lives and opportunities of people today. This summit is for and by everyone, and everyone should see themselves reflected in it.”
Youth delegates attend the Youth Forum held ahead of the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha, Qatar.
4 What happens next?
Summit organizers stressed that the end of the event will not be the end of the discussions and issues raised over the four days.
Michele Griffin described this as the beginning of a process: “most of the seeds we sowed at this summit will take time to germinate and grow,” she said, “and we all have to be involved in holding governments accountable to their commitments on the international stage.”
Following the Summit, the focus will shift to implementing the recommendations and commitments contained in the Compact for the Future. In November, Azerbaijan will host the United Nations Climate Conference (COP29), where climate finance will be at the top of the agenda; December sees United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in Botswanawhere solutions for sustainable development will be sought; and next June, efforts to reform the international financial architecture (which includes agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which decide how and under what conditions loans, grants and technical assistance are provided to developing countries) will be pushed forward in Spain, at the International Conference on Financing for Development (Ffd4)
5 How can I participate?
Act Now is a global campaign by the United Nations to encourage people to advocate for a better, more peaceful and sustainable future. The platform aims to increase the number of people who speak up and make a positive difference, whether that is through volunteering in their local community, participating in local decision-making or simply changing their personal consumption habits to be more environmentally responsible.
In preparation for the Summit, the UN Youth Office is also mobilizing young people and allies by launching #YouthLeadershipA call for world leaders to make global policy more representative of the communities they serve.
