Pact for the Future Passed! CBCGDF Experts Attended the Opening Ceremony of Summit of the Future

 The two-day Summit of the Future was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from September 22 to 23, 2024. World leaders adopt a Pact for the Future that includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. The Pact covers a broad range of themes including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance.

 


Professor Frederick Charles Dubee, International Advisor of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), and expert Mr. Ebrima JARRA were invited to attend the summit.

 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres recalled the origins of the Summit, stressing “we are here to bring multilateralism back from the brink.” He expressed concern that the UN’s authority to tackle mounting global challenges is fast eroding, and without reform of its composition and working methods “it will lose all credibility.” Guterres stressed that the Pact for the Future lays the foundation for transformation that includes a groundbreaking commitment by governments to listen to young people and involve them in decision making at all levels and the first “truly universal agreement” on the governance and risks of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Noting that people never agree on the past, he expressed optimism that the SOF has set a course towards a future that can meet the expectations of all.

 

Three youth representatives then took the floor. Ghanim Mohammed Al-Muftah, Qatar, encouraged delegates to think of the future as “fathers, mothers, and guardians” who care about the future of all children and generations to follow. His experience as a person with disability, he stressed, taught him that “true progress” is not about overcoming personal challenges alone but how “as a society, we embrace each other’s differences.” Uniting his voice with those of the 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide, he called for inclusivity to be a “fundamental right, not a luxury.”

 

Niria Alicía Garcia, US, lamented the lack of mention of frontline communities in the Pact for the Future, and delivered a call for greater support, recognition, and inclusion of Indigenous Peoples (IPs), including of Indigenous youths. Reminding the audience that IPs are the “stewards” of 80% of the world’s biodiversity, she called for Member States to ratify the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, cut their military budget in favor of climate action, and “go home and ask your Indigenous youths how much money we need to bring our solutions to life.”

 

Monicah Malith, South Sudan, began by asking delegates: “What encounters your eyes if you talk about the future? What voice overwhelms your ears? What taste lies on your tongue?” She called for political leadership in championing youth and refugees, particularly through education, explaining the role of universities and fellowships in her own journey as a refugee. Refugees from conflict, environmental disasters, or economic insecurity, she continued, are a collective responsibility and require long-term “compassionate solutions.” Addressing fellow young people, she concluded: “The future is ours to forge. Not theirs to cling to. Not theirs to pass down like spoils of war.”

 

Olaf Scholz, Chancellor, Germany, noted the Pact for the Future is needed “now more than ever” because everyone’s fate is deeply interlinked to with global challenges, including poverty, hunger, impediments to free and fair trade, and AI. He cautioned that future opportunities also hold potential for abuse and imbalances. He said the Pact outlines over 50 steps to be taken, and that “history will judge us” if we do not take them.

 

Nangolo Mbumba, President, Namibia, said the Pact’s adoption culminates 18 months of negotiations, embodying the African proverb that “tomorrow belongs to the people who plan for it today.” Noting that the compounding challenges faced may seem insurmountable, he said the Pact provides the opportunity for the world’s countries to combine their resources to confront them “head on.”

 

Original Chinese Article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/RdYtdyM4gQVIG1PZXDXqMw

Translator: Maggie

Editor: Maggie

Checked by: Richard     

Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

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