UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the Future Summit. UN chief: today the world community has taken the first steps towards reforming the system of international cooperation UN
The challenges of the 21st century require solutions of the 21st century: framework solutions that are networked and inclusive and draw on the experience of all humanity. These were the words of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the opening of the Future Summit on September 22.
“I have called for this summit to consider deep reforms to make global institutions more legitimate, fair and effective, based on the values of the UN Charter,” he said.
The Future Summit is a high-level event taking place at the UN Headquarters in New York City from 22 to 23 September. World leaders come together to forge a new international consensus on how to ensure a better future for all. On Sunday, they unanimously adopted The Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration for Future Generations.
“The summit provides a historic opportunity to ensure that progress is shared fairly by all countries and communities around the world,” said UN General Assembly President Philemon Young.
The world is ‘going off the rails’
“I called for this summit because our world is going off the rails and we need tough decisions to get it back on track,” Guterres said.
He cited conflicts engulfing the world, from the Middle East to Ukraine and Sudan. The international system of collective security is threatened by geopolitical differences, the nuclear ambitions of countries, as well as the development of new weapons and theaters of military operations, Guterres recalled.
He also noted growing inequality, both within and between countries. “Many developing countries are drowning in debt and are unable to support their people,” the UN chief said.
The climate crisis is destroying the global economy, new technologies, including artificial intelligence, are being developed in a moral and legal vacuum, without proper governance and restrictions, Guterres emphasized.
No answers
He noted that today the international community does not have an “effective global response” to the emerging “existential threats”.
“Our multilateral instruments and institutions are not able to respond effectively to today’s political, economic, environmental and technological challenges,” the Secretary-General said.
“And tomorrow will be even more complex and dangerous,” he added he.
The agreements adopted are the first step in the right direction
The world is going through a period of turbulence and transition, and members of the international community must begin now to take the first decisive steps to renew and reform international cooperation.
“And today, thanks to your efforts, we have done it,” the head of the UN said.
“The Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations open the way to new opportunities,” he stressed.
The documents adopted on September 22, in particular, contain a promise to make a breakthrough in reforming the Security Council and to address the historical problem of underrepresentation in this body of Africa, the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America.
They lay the foundation for a more flexible work of the Peacebuilding Commission and for a fundamental review of peacekeeping operations.
“They represent the first concerted multilateral support for nuclear disarmament in more than a decade,” the Secretary-General said.
“They recognize the changing nature of conflict and commit to take steps to prevent an arms race in outer space and regulate the use of lethal autonomous weapons,” he added.
The agreements also represent a step towards revolutionary reforms of the international financial architecture. According to Guterres, they will help make its institutions more representative, more capable of responding decisively to today’s challenges and providing an effective global social safety net for developing countries.
The Pact for the Future aims to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change, as well as a just transition from fossil fuels to clean energy sources. In addition, the document contains measures that will ensure a peaceful future for all inhabitants of the planet.
Global Digital Compact
The Global Digital Compact is based on the principle that technology should benefit everyone. It includes the first truly universal agreement on the international governance of artificial intelligence.
“It commits governments to establish an independent international scientific panel on AI and to launch a global dialogue on its governance within the United Nations,” the UN chief explained. The treaty supports the creation of networks and partnerships to build AI capacity in developing countries.
The Declaration on Future Generations, in turn, echoes the call of the United Nations Charter and promises to save future generations from the scourge of war, committing governments for the first time to take the interests of future generations into account when making decisions today.
Respect for the Rights human beings
All three agreements are based on the principles of respect for human rights, cultural diversity and gender equality, the Secretary-General emphasized.
“The path we choose must lead to a future in which human dignity is respected and human rights are observed,” said Philemon Young.