UN News has gathered important information for you about this meeting to be held in September 2024. Take a look…
1. What is the future of summits?
The year 2020 marks 75 years since the founding of the United Nations, and the event has sparked a global discussion of aspirations and fears for the future.
This was the beginning of a process that would lead to the organization of future summits The meeting will be held at the UN headquarters in New York in September. Just before the UN General Assembly’s annual high-level debate.
The meeting was planned during the Covid-19 pandemic, when there was a perception within the United Nations that countries and citizens were turning away from each other rather than tackling the global health threat through cooperation.
Michelle Griffin, policy director of the summit, said that on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, we are facing a widening gap between the aspirations of the founders of this organization and the reality of today’s world.
“We faced problems, threats, but also opportunities and pitfalls in our response to them.”
UN member states entrusted Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with the task of shaping the future of global cooperation and in this context he presented a report entitled ‘Our Common Agenda’.
In this report, recommendations were presented focused on injecting new strength into global cooperation to address various types of risks and threats. Also, a future-oriented summit in 2024 was suggested.
Several sessions will be organized during this summit, which will mainly focus on five topics:
- Sustainable development and financing
- Peace and security
- Digital future for all
- Youth and future generations
- Global governance
Parallel to this, other issues including human rights, gender equality and climate crisis will also be discussed.
At the conclusion of the summit, a ‘Deal for the Future’ will be finalised, along with a ‘Global Digital Compact’ and a ‘Declaration for Future Generations’. All these are likely to be passed by the member countries at the summit.
2. In what ways is this summit important?
All these topics and issues have been discussed in the past, and overarching agreements such as the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development have also been reached.
Despite this, there is a widespread belief that the structure and fabric with which the United Nations was founded decades ago is no longer effective or equitable enough.
Against this background, the Future Summit is an opportunity to realize all the commitments made earlier, prepare the international community for the future and restore the shattered trust in the world.
Policy director Michelle Griffin said mutual trust is paramount to international cooperation. Trust each other. A sense of shared humanity. And this summit aims to remind us again that we only need to find solutions to common problems together.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg with other protesters protesting outside the UN headquarters. (2019)
3. Which team has the main role?
Prior to the summit, two working days will also be held at UN headquarters, where civil society, the private sector, academia, youth, Member States and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to discuss key issues of the event.
According to Michelle Griffin, “You look at the United Nations and think that governments are the main parties. And rightly so. “They sit at the table, but they do it on behalf of their people.”
“Civil society activists, youth are part of this whole process and they will be present at the summit. It also has a presence here to understand the role of the private sector in shaping the lives and opportunities of ordinary citizens.”
He said this summit is for everyone, by everyone and everyone should reflect themselves here.
Youth representatives participated in the Youth Forum ahead of the LDC 5 Summit in the Qatari capital, Doha.
4. What happens after this meeting?
The organizers of the conference emphasized that with the conclusion of this meeting, the four days of discussions and issues will not end.
Rather, it will be the beginning of a process. The seeds that will be planted during this summit will take some time to germinate. And we all need to be involved in holding governments accountable, so that they can fulfill their commitments on the international stage.
After this summit, the focus will be on the recommendations and resolutions of the ‘Commitment Notes for the Future’. Then, in November, Azerbaijan is hosting the annual United Nations Climate Conference (COP29), where climate finance will be discussed.
In December, the United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries will be held in Botswana, where solutions for sustainable development will be sought. In June next year, during the International Conference on Financing for Development in Spain, efforts to reform the international financial system will continue at the World Bank and other organizations, including the International Monetary Fund.
5. How can I be a part of it?
Act Now is a global UN initiative focused on inspiring everyone to act towards a better, peaceful and sustainable future.
The mission of this platform is to increase the number of people raising their voices and bring about a positive change in the world.
Whether they do this through volunteer work in their community, through local community decision-making, or by changing their daily eating habits and adopting an environmentally responsible lifestyle.
Ahead of the summit, the UN Youth Office also launched a campaign called #YouthLead to mobilize young people, appealing to world leaders to enact policies that take into account the interests of their communities.