Caption: Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres
NEW YORK, CMC – Caribbean heads were among world leaders who on Sunday adopted a Pact for the Future to tackle 21st-century challenges, including conflicts and artificial intelligence, with Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley calling for a change of attitude and values as the world confronts those challenges.
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 to ensure that international institutions can deliver in the face of a world that has changed dramatically since they were created. It is the culmination of an inclusive, years-long process to adapt international cooperation to the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow, the UN said.
Leaders have set out a vision of an international system that can deliver on its promises, is more representative of today’s world and draws on the energy and expertise of governments, civil society and other key partners.
“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 Secretary-General António Guterres during his remarks at the opening of the summit.
The 42-page 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.
It includes 56 actions on issues including eradicating poverty, mitigating climate change, achieving gender equality, promoting peace and protecting civilians, and reinvigorating the multilateral system to “seize the opportunities of today and tomorrow”.
The pact also has two accompanying annexes, a Global Digital Compact – the first comprehensive global framework for digital cooperation and AI governance – and the Declaration on Future Generations, with concrete steps to take account of future generations in decision-making, including a possible envoy for future generations.
Addressing the closing ceremony of the two-day summit, Prime Minister Mottley insisted that the world can change, “but it needs our energy, our commitment”.
“I believe that it is possible for us to have a win-win, I believe that hope can be restored, but I do recognise that we are at an inflection point. And those who have power and want to maintain the status quo, even though they do not yet have a plan for us to live on Mars, they are adamant on not creating the space or the policy flexibility, or the access to the funding necessary for us to bring along others.
“It is unconscionable for us not to recognise that unless we can provide the basics of food, water, shelter, electricity to all people on this earth, we cannot talk about being a successful generation in human civilisation,” the Barbadian leader said.
The Summit brought together over 4,000 individuals from Heads of State and Government, observers, IGOs, UN System, civil society and non-governmental organisations.
In a broader push to increase the engagement of diverse actors, the formal Summit was preceded by the Action Days from September 20 to 21, 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 US$1.05 billion to advance digital inclusion.
