World leaders on Sunday (September 22) passed a “Pact for the Future” in an attempt to unite the increasingly divided nations to collectively address the challenges of the 21st century, including climate change, artificial intelligence (AI), escalating conflicts, and the growing inequalities and poverty.
The “Pact for the Future” is a blueprint in the form of a PDF document, calling for the leaders of all 193 member countries of the United Nations to translate their commitments into concrete actions.
Prior to the current United Nations General Assembly, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a two-day “Future Summit” to be held. During the opening ceremony, the pact was approved by vote, and Guterres thanked the leaders and diplomats of the various countries for taking the first step towards a “great future.”
“We are here to revive multilateralism,” Guterres said. “Now, we must pass through this gateway together. It requires not just agreements, but actions.”
Guterres emphasized that world leaders should prioritize dialogue and negotiations to end “wars tearing the world apart” (including conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Sudan); reform the powerful UN Security Council; expedite international financial system reforms; accelerate transitioning from fossil fuels; and involve young people in decision-making.
The “Pact for the Future” includes 56 actions covering issues such as poverty eradication, climate change mitigation, achieving gender equality, promoting peace, protecting civilians, and revitalizing the multilateral system. However, until the last moment, it was uncertain whether the agreement would pass.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated that due to the uncertainty of the agreement’s approval, Guterres prepared three speech drafts: one for passage, one for rejection, and one for an undecided outcome.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin proposed an amendment at the beginning of the summit, attempting to significantly weaken the pact’s effectiveness.
However, the representative of the African Union, comprising 54 African countries, spoke out against Russia’s amendment and proposed a motion without the amendment, which was approved amidst applause from attending representatives.
Russia’s amendment only received support from Iran, Belarus, North Korea, Nicaragua, Sudan, and Syria.
UN General Assembly President Philémon Yang then presented the “Pact for the Future” for the assembly’s vote, and eventually, after the gavel was struck, consensus was reached among the 193 member countries, declaring its passage.
According to The Associated Press, Russia has made diplomatic progress in Africa in recent years by forming alliances with countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and the Central African Republic. However, many African countries, along with Mexico, rejected Russia’s proposed amendment, dealing a significant blow to Moscow’s foreign policy.
Guterres specifically mentioned some key provisions in the “Pact for the Future,” as well as the attached two appendices: the “Global Digital Covenant” and the “Declaration on Future Generations.”
He stated that the “Global Digital Covenant” is the “first truly universal international governance agreement on AI.”
The covenant requires leaders to commit to establishing an independent international scientific group at the UN to promote scientific understanding of AI and its risks and opportunities.
The “Declaration on Future Generations” emphasizes the need to meet the needs of present-day people in a manner that safeguards the needs and interests of future generations, while respecting, promoting, and protecting cultural diversity and heritage.