A mural by Brazilian artist Eduardo Cobra dedicated to sustainable development on the wall of the UN headquarters in New York. EXPLAINED | Five things you need to know about the Future Summit UN
In 2020, the United Nations turned 75, and to mark the occasion, the UN launched a global dialogue on the future of humanity. Four years later, this process has led to the convening of the Future Summit, a major event to be held this September at UN Headquarters, immediately prior to the annual high-level debate of the General Assembly.
1. What is the Future Summit?
The Future Summit was conceived in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the UN felt that, rather than working together to combat this global threat, countries and peoples were drifting apart.
“We are facing a gap between the aspirations of the UN’s founders and the realities of the world today,” says Michelle Griffin, the Summit’s policy director.
We are facing a gap between the aspirations of the UN’s founders and the realities of the world today
UN Member States tasked Secretary-General António Guterres with developing a vision for the future of global cooperation. The answer to their call is Our Common Agenda, a landmark report that recommends renewed global cooperation to address today’s myriad risks and threats.
The summit will consist of sessions and plenary sessions on five main areas: sustainable development and financing; peace and security; a digital future for all; youth and future generations; global governance. The forum will also discuss other topics that touch upon the UN’s areas of work, including human rights, gender equality and the climate crisis.
The summit should result in the final approval of documents such as the “Pact for the Future”, the Global Digital Compact and the “Declaration for Future Generations”.
The Future Summit logo.
2. Why the Summit is Important?
Although these issues have been discussed in the past, with the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, there is now a widespread feeling that the UN structures, many of which were created decades ago, are no longer effective enough. The future summit offers a chance to deliver on the promises made so far, to prepare the international community for what is to come, and to restore global trust.
“Trust is the most important ingredient in international cooperation,” says Michelle Griffin. “The summit is meant to remind all of us, not just governments and not just those who will be at the UN in New York in September, that we must work together to solve major shared problems.”
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (center) joins protesters outside the United Nations in New York on August 30, 2019.
3. Who’s Taking Part in the Summit?
The summit will be preceded by “Days of Action” – representatives of civil society, the private sector, academia, local and regional authorities, and youth activists will be able to take part in the discussion of the main topics of the event.
“When you think of the UN, you think that the key players are always the government representatives of the member states,” says Michelle Griffin. “That’s usually true. But this summit is for everyone and for everyone.”
Delegates to the Youth Forum, which is taking place ahead of the Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries in Doha, Qatar.
4. What’s Next?
Summit organizers emphasize that the closure of the event will not be the end of discussions on the most important topics. Michelle Griffin emphasizes that the process is only just beginning: “Most of the seeds we plant at this summit will take some time to grow and blossom.”
Most of the seeds we plant at this summit will take some time to grow and blossom
Following the summit, attention will focus on implementing the recommendations and promises contained in the Pact for the Future. In November, Azerbaijan will host the UN Climate Change Conference, which will discuss climate finance. In December, Botswana will host the UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries. In June next year, the International Conference on Financing for Development in Spain will intensify efforts to reform the international financial architecture.
ActNow campaign logo.
5. How to support the initiative?
Act Now is a global UN campaign to encourage people to speak up for a better, more peaceful and sustainable future. It aims to increase the number of people speaking up and making positive change, whether that means volunteering in their local community, participating in local decision-making, or simply changing their personal consumption habits to live a more sustainable life.
Ahead of the Future Summit, UN Youth is also launching the #YouthLead campaign, calling on world leaders to make global policy-making more inclusive.