New York, 22 September 2024 – World leaders today adopted a Pact for the Future that includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. This Pact is the culmination of an inclusive, years-long process to adapt international cooperation to the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow. The most wide-ranging international agreement in many years, covering entirely new areas as well as issues on which agreement has not been possible in decades, the Pact aims above all to ensure that international institutions can deliver in the face of a world that has changed dramatically since they were created.
“The Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations open the door to new opportunities and untapped possibilities,” said the Secretary-General during his remarks at the opening of the Summit of the Future.
The Pact covers a broad range of issues including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance. Key deliverables in the Pact include:
In the area of peace and security
On sustainable development, climate and financing for development
- The entire Pact is designed to turbo-charge implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
- The most detailed agreement ever at the United Nations on the need for reform of the international financial architecture so that it better represents and serves developing countries.
- Improving how we measure human progress, going beyond GDP to capturing human and planetary wellbeing and sustainability.
- A commitment to consider ways to introduce a global minimum level of taxation on high-net-worth individuals.
- On climate change, confirmation of the need to keep global temperature rise to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
On digital cooperation
- The Global Digital Compact, annexed to the Pact, is the first comprehensive global framework for digital cooperation and AI governance.
- At the heart of the Compact is a commitment to design, use and govern technology for the benefit of all.
Youth and future generations
- The first ever Declaration on Future Generations, with concrete steps to take account of future generations in our decision-making, including a possible envoy for future generations.
- A commitment to more meaningful opportunities for young people to participate in the decisions that shape their lives, especially at the global level.
Human rights and gender
- A strengthening of our work on human rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women.
- A clear call on the need to protect human rights defenders.
- Strong signals on the importance of engagement of other stakeholders in global governance, including local and regional governments, civil society, private sector and others.
There are provisions across the Pact and its annexes for follow-up action, to ensure that the commitments made are implemented.
The Summit brought together over 4000 individuals from Heads of State and Government, observers, IGOs, UN System, civil society and non-governmental organizations. In a broader push to increase the engagement of diverse actors, the formal Summit was preceded by the Action Days from 20-21 September, which attracted more than 7,000 individuals representing all segments of society. The Action Days featured strong commitments to action by all stakeholders, as well as pledges of USD 1.05 billion to advance digital inclusion.
For more information: https://www.un.org/en/summit-of-the-future
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2024/09/press-release-sotf-2024/
This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.