World leaders are assembling in New York on Sunday for a “Summit of the Future” to tackle issues of the twenty-first century, from climate change to conflict, despite doubts about whether the final agreement can live up to its ambitious objectives.
Proposing the gathering for the first time in 2021, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described it as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to influence human history through rekindling international cooperation.
Dozens of heads of state and government are scheduled to sign a “Pact for the Future” on Sunday, serving as the kickoff event for the UN General Assembly’s annual high-level week, which starts on Tuesday.
However, following tight last-minute discussions, Guterres voiced some impatience, pleading with countries to demonstrate “courage” and “vision” as well as “maximum ambition” to fortify international institutions that find it difficult to adequately address the risks of the modern world.
Leaders promise to support the multilateral system in order to “keep pace with a changing world” and to “protect the needs and interests of current and future generations” who are suffering “persistent crisis” in the most recent version of the text that will be submitted for adoption.
“We believe there is a path to a brighter future for all of humanity,” the document says.
The agreement, which is about thirty pages long, contains 56 “actions,” some of which are pledges to support multilateralism, the UN Charter, and peacekeeping.
It also demands that the UN Security Council and international financial institutions be reformed, and that fresh initiatives be taken to fight climate change, advance disarmament, and direct the advancement of artificial intelligence.
