On 22 and 23 September 2024, world leaders, civil society representatives and experts will gather for the Future Summit. UN Prepares for Future Summit Opening UN
World leaders, policymakers, civil society actors, entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, activists and youth from all corners of the world and all walks of life, sitting at one table – that’s what an effective and inclusive multilateral process should look like. That’s what the UN Secretary-General said at the opening of the second Day of Action on Saturday.
The Days of Action began yesterday with a special youth event. Young people from around the world gathered to share their experiences and discuss topics at the forefront of global attention, including building a peaceful and sustainable future for all.
The Voice of Youth at the UN: “We Want to Be Taken Seriously”
The second and final day before the main programme of the Future Summit is devoted to three priority themes – digital technologies, peace and security, and sustainable development and financing. It is attended by heads of state and government, ministers, Nobel laureates, representatives of the private sector, civil society, youth and other organizations.
Collective Solutions
The events are being held to build momentum ahead of the Future Summit. On 22 and 23 September 2024, world leaders, civil society and experts will gather at the Summit to work on pressing issues from rising sea levels to ending hunger, as they discuss a Pact for the Future that is expected to be adopted at the forum.
UN chief speaks at opening of second Day of Action.
António Guterres reminded those present today that over the past four years, the United Nations has undertaken the most extensive consultative process in its history. A total of 1.5 million people around the world took part in the discussions, he said, and hundreds of civil society groups contributed to the preparation of the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration for Future Generations.
Breathe Life
Today, after days of meetings and consultations with UN Member States, General Assembly President Philemon Young presented the Pact for the Future to the General Assembly, Young’s press service reported.
The General Assembly President called on all Member States to support the adoption of the Pact and its annexes by consensus at the Future Summit, which opens on Sunday. “This will be a historic moment to renew our commitment to a better future for everyone, everywhere,” the statement said.
In turn, the Secretary-General, addressing the participants of the Days of Action, said that “the adoption of these texts will not be the end of the road.” “Our next task is to breathe life into them,” he noted.
According to him, the process begins now, at this forum. “We look forward to your ideas and solutions,” he told those present at the event.
Art and Technology
Also on Saturday, an installation created by media artist Refik Anadol was unveiled at UN Headquarters. He uses artificial intelligence to raise awareness of the beauty and fragility of coral reefs and the impact of the climate crisis.
An installation by media artist Refik Anadol was unveiled at the UN Headquarters.
The work will be on display at the UN Headquarters from September 21 to 28. Delegates to the High-Level Week and Future Summit won’t be able to miss the artist’s message: his piece takes up an entire section of wall in a corridor on the first floor of the UN Headquarters Conference Building. Abstract shapes in green, orange and white flow into each other in an endless, never-repeating pattern, set to hypnotic music. In this way, the artist draws attention to two major global issues that are at the forefront of the UN this week: the climate crisis and the impact of artificial intelligence.
Coral reefs are among the most vulnerable ecosystems on the planet to climate change. Using artificial intelligence, the artist collected millions of photographs of corals, many of which are at risk of extinction due to rising ocean temperatures. Coral ecosystems are home to 25 percent of marine life and could be virtually extinct by the end of this century.