World leaders have agreed on the Pact for the Future, a comprehensive global initiative that includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. This pact is the culmination of an inclusive and multi-year effort to reshape international cooperation in response to current realities and future challenges. Described as the most wide-ranging international agreement in recent years, it addresses both new and long-standing issues where consensus has been elusive for decades. The primary goal of the pact is to ensure that global institutions can effectively respond to the modern world, a world that has drastically evolved since these institutions were first established.
As United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized, “we cannot create a future fit for our grandchildren with a system built by our grandparents.” This statement highlights the need for international systems to evolve alongside global changes.
The pact represents a firm commitment from nations to uphold the United Nations, international law, and the global system. Leaders outlined a vision for a more inclusive, representative, and effective international system. This vision relies on collaboration among governments, civil society, and other key stakeholders to ensure the system meets its commitments.
“The Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations open the door to new opportunities and untapped possibilities,” Guterres remarked at the Summit of the Future. Echoing this optimism, the President of the General Assembly said the pact would “lay the foundations for a sustainable, just, and peaceful global order – for all peoples and nations.”
Key Issues Addressed in the Pact
The Pact for the Future covers a wide range of pressing global issues, including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender equality, youth, and the transformation of global governance.
Peace and Security
A notable highlight is the most progressive commitment to reforming the United Nations Security Council since the 1960s. These reforms aim to increase the council’s effectiveness and better reflect the contemporary global landscape. A key priority is addressing the historical under-representation of Africa within the council.
Another significant achievement is the first multilateral recommitment to nuclear disarmament in more than a decade. Nations have pledged to pursue the complete elimination of nuclear weapons.
In the domain of outer space, countries agreed to strengthen international frameworks governing space activities. The pact includes a commitment to prevent an arms race in outer space and ensure that all countries can benefit from the peaceful and sustainable exploration of space.
Moreover, world leaders agreed on measures to prevent the weaponization and misuse of new technologies, including lethal autonomous weapons. They affirmed that the laws of war should apply to many of these emerging technologies.
Sustainable Development, Climate, and Financing
The pact aims to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also contains the most detailed agreement ever made at the United Nations on the need for reform of the international financial architecture to better serve developing countries.
Key financial reforms include granting developing nations a greater role in decision-making at international financial institutions. The pact also calls for mobilizing more resources from multilateral development banks to help developing countries meet their goals.
Another critical reform is a review of the sovereign debt architecture to ensure that developing countries can sustainably borrow to invest in their futures. This effort will involve collaboration between the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United Nations, the G20, and other global institutions. Additionally, the pact seeks to strengthen the global financial safety net to protect vulnerable populations during economic crises.
To address climate change, the pact outlines a commitment to increase financing for adaptation efforts and investments in renewable energy. Leaders reaffirmed the importance of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and agreed to transition energy systems away from fossil fuels to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
The pact also introduces innovative ideas, such as the potential introduction of a global minimum level of taxation for high-net-worth individuals. This could play a pivotal role in financing future development needs.
Additionally, the pact seeks to go beyond traditional economic measures like GDP by developing new methods to assess human and planetary well-being, emphasizing sustainability.
Digital Cooperation
The Global Digital Compact, annexed to the Pact for the Future, represents the first global framework for digital
cooperation and artificial intelligence (AI) governance.
A central tenet of the Compact is the commitment to design, use, and regulate technology in a way that benefits all. World leaders pledged to connect schools, hospitals, and all people to the internet. They also stressed the need to anchor digital cooperation in human rights and international law.
Another key aspect of the compact is the protection of children in the online space, with commitments from governments, technology companies, and social media platforms. The Compact also includes plans for a global policy dialogue on artificial intelligence, supported by an International Scientific Panel.
For the first time, the issue of data governance has been placed on the global agenda. Countries have committed to making data more accessible by adopting open-source data, models, and standards. These actions are expected to be fully implemented by 2030.
Youth and Future Generations
The Declaration on Future Generations, another critical component of the pact, outlines concrete steps to ensure that the needs of future generations are considered in current decision-making processes. A proposal to appoint an envoy for future generations has been included as part of this initiative.
The pact also includes a commitment to create more meaningful opportunities for young people to participate in global decision-making processes, particularly in shaping policies that will directly impact their lives.
Human Rights and Gender Equality
The pact reinforces the global commitment to human rights and gender equality. It includes provisions to protect human rights defenders, signaling a strong commitment to safeguarding those who advocate for fundamental rights.
Furthermore, the pact calls for greater engagement of diverse stakeholders in global governance. This includes local and regional governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, and other key partners.
Follow-Up and Implementation
The Pact for the Future and its annexes contain provisions to ensure that the commitments made are effectively implemented. These follow-up actions are intended to hold countries accountable for delivering on their promises.
Summit Process
The Summit of the Future and the development of the Pact for the Future were marked by extensive input from diverse stakeholders. Millions of voices and thousands of organizations from around the world contributed to the discussions.
The summit brought together over 4,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, representatives from intergovernmental organizations, and civil society members. To broaden participation, the formal summit was preceded by Action Days on September 20-21, which attracted over 7,000 individuals from various sectors of society. During these Action Days, significant commitments were made, including pledges of $1.05 billion to advance digital inclusion globally.
With the adoption of the Pact for the Future, world leaders have set a new course for international cooperation, one that seeks to address both the challenges of today and the uncertainties of tomorrow. The pact’s broad scope and ambitious goals signal a renewed global effort to build a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world for future generations.
