Making the world fairer, safer and more sustainable for all was at the heart of a series of bold new ideas put forward during the final session of the conference. Top of the Future Action Dayswith messages of hope and change from young changemakers to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
“When I look out, I see world leaders. I see mayors and legislators. I see civil society, the private sector, academics, artists, activists and youth,” the UN chief said at the opening of the day’s session of the General Assembly. “You come from all corners of the world, from all generations and from all walks of life. Friends, this is what effective, inclusive, networked multilateralism looks like.”
“Four years ago we began the process that brings us here today because we saw a world in trouble, torn by conflict and inequalities, threatened by climate chaos and unregulated technologies, and with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at risk as many countries find themselves mired in catastrophic debt burdens and cost-of-living crises,” he said.
“We have therefore embarked on a journey to reform and renew the international system so that it is fit for the times and fit for the future,” Mr Guterres said.
Watch the opening session of day two of the Top of the future Action days below:
Young changemakers: ‘Something has to happen’
Global Youth Ambassador Oluwaseun Ikusika from Nigeria told UN News why she was at the UN headquarters on Saturday.
“I’m taking this opportunity to call on world leaders to intervene, because if you look at what’s happening now, you see high rates of genocide and femicide everywhere,” she said. “So it’s really important that they fully commit to protection. To move forward, to achieve what we want to achieve by 2030, something has to happen.”
Hannah Ettelstein, a young activist from the United States, spoke about her hopes for change.
“I hope people will bring up difficult conversations,” she said UN News“I hear a lot of conversations like, ‘Oh, we want to build this future, we want to engage you.’ But that’s a lot of talk, and I want to see what actions the UN has taken to actually make change and engage us in conversations that go beyond a week-long conference.”
UN News
A selfie with UN News reporters and Game of Thrones actor and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
‘Don’t hold yourself back’
UN News also caught up with Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldaubest known for his starring role in HBO’s Game of Throneswho is a passionate advocate for climate action and gender equality and a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Development Programme (UN Development Programme).
“The UN is a pretty incredible thing, set up after World War II in the hope that we can stop screwing up this stuff,” he said. “Bringing together over 190 countries is pretty spectacular and still making progress. Is it slow? Yes.”
However, he said that things are moving in the right direction, although the inequality that exists globally is the biggest challenge and needs to be addressed. To solve problems, it is important that all generations are involved and represented to have different perspectives, he added.
“I believe in people, and we all want the same thing,” he said. “We want a better future for our children.”
In terms of achieving that, he had a message for today’s youth: “Don’t hold back.”
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
A broad view of the opening of the Summit of the Future Action Days.
Breaking new ground, from digital to security
Saturday’s sessions focused on three priority themes: digital and technology; peace and security; and sustainable development and financing.
During the day, leaders, experts and civil society shared developments already underway and presented plans for the future.
The discussions and numerous side events featured far-reaching measures such as reforms to make multilateral development banks bigger, better and bolder, and proposals for global solidarity levies to help finance underfunded global investments in a fair and transparent way.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
UN Secretary-General António Guterres opens the second day of the Summit of the Future Action Days.
Sustainable future for everyone
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed called today’s event “a platform for brilliant minds” to share their ideas, from academics developing new proposals, members of civil society working directly with communities, and policymakers overcoming policy and regulatory hurdles.
“We are coming together at a crucial moment,” she said, noting that only 17 percent of the targets are on track to achieve the SDGs.
The UN deputy chief said that with just six years to go, the battle cry of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development – leaving no one behind – has “fallen short”.
At the same time, hunger is increasing, fossil fuel use is rising, and global temperatures are rising. At the same time, conflicts are spreading and the fight for gender equality has stalled.
© UN Women/Pedro Pio
A former fighter in Colombia is now a community leader thanks to a 2016 peace deal with the government.
‘We need bold new ideas’
“This simply cannot continue,” she said. “We need bold new ideas.”
Over the past nine months, she said, Member States have been negotiating the Pact for the future The current state of development was at the heart of the discussions, taking into account emerging and future challenges, from artificial intelligence to modern weapons. This led to reflections on how new technologies can boost the development process and how achieving the SDGs can form a basis for global solidarity.
The world needs equally bold investments in all areas, including food security, green energy and digital connectivity. But the challenge goes beyond the issue of dollars and cents, she said.
© WFP/Eulalia Berlanga
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is helping women farmers adapt to climate change and achieve sustainable agriculture.
Pact of the future
The international financial system cannot provide the safety net that many countries – particularly developing countries – need today to pursue the SDGs, Ms. Mohammed said.
The Pact of the future sends an unambiguous message: it is time for urgent reform of the international financial architecture, including to provide effective and equal support to countries during systemic shocks and to address the urgent challenge of climate change.
“The ambition and momentum do not stop today,” she said. “At the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development next year, we must continue this momentum to deliver a new financing framework that can deliver on the Goals and take us into the next decade. I hope you will join me in a commitment to invest in hope, invest in sustainable development and invest in a better future for all.”
Top of the future
The Summit of the Future will take place on 22 and 23 September, just before the start of the annual general debate in the UN General Assembly.
On Saturday, General Assembly President Philémon Yang presented the Pact for the future to the world body after speaking and consulting with member states in recent days, his spokesperson Sharon Birch said.
“He urges all Member States to support the adoption of the Pact and its annexes by consensus the Top of the Future tomorrow, “Sunday, September 22, 2024,” she said.
“It will be a historic moment to recommit ourselves to a better future for everyone, everywhere,” she added.
The UN chief on Saturday discussed annexes aimed at closing digital divides and a declaration for the future, which are also expected to be adopted on Sunday at the Summit of the Future.
He said the Worldwide Digital Compact should be a blueprint for closing the digital divide and the first universal agreement on artificial intelligence, laying the foundation for a global platform with the UN at its centre that brings together all actors.
The Declaration on Future Generations He said leaders must commit to taking decisions today with the future in mind, adding that gender equality and human rights must be woven into every aspect of those texts because they are fundamental to every aspect of life.
“The issues at the heart of these texts—justice, rights, peace, and equality—have inspired my work for decades—and driven me forward,” he said. “The same is true for many of you. I will not give up, and I know you will not either. Adopting these texts will not be the end of the journey. It will simply be the end of the beginning.”