Digital Democracy Now attended the Action Days of The Summit of the Future which took place in September 2024. The summit was a high-level UN event, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future. It involved youth as its main focus. DDN helped SNHU youth attend the action days.
SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE on 22 September 2024,
- world leaders adopted a Pact for the Future that includes, among other things, a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations.
- 2030 Agenda of the SDG: promoting urgent and scaled-up action, policies and investments with the goal to end poverty and hunger and leave no one behind.
- The Pact also acknowledges the need for Member States to begin to consider how to advance sustainable development beyond 2030.
TRANSFORMING GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
- The Pact resolved to make the multilateral system more effective, fit for the future, just and representative, inclusive and networked, and financially stable.
- It includes the most ambitious and concrete progress on Security Council reform since 1963, including a commitment to increase the representation of developing countries, recognizing the special case of Africa, and to develop a consolidated reform model in the future.
The Pact commits to protecting civilians in armed conflict by complying with the laws of war.
- It also includes a pledge to refrain from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas
- to strengthen accountability for serious crimes and gross violations, such as gender-based violence and starvation as a weapon of war.
- It agrees to scale-up humanitarian assistance and increase the use of innovative and anticipatory financing mechanisms, including to eliminate famine.
The Pact introduces measures to reduce global disparities in science, technology and innovation, including through scaling-up means of implementation.
- It addresses barriers to the access, participation and leadership of women and girls in these areas and agrees on the importance of human rights and ethical principles in the development and use of new technologies.
- Leaders also committed to the increased use of science in policy-making to address complex challenges,
The Pact aims to expand and strengthen youth participation in global decision-making, including in UN intergovernmental bodies and processes. It agrees to the participation of youth from developing countries, facilitated through the UN Youth Fund and development of core principles for meaningful youth engagement.
GLOBAL DIGITAL COMPACT Annexed to the Pact, the Global Digital Compact
- is the first comprehensive global framework for digital cooperation.
- It explicitly includes human rights and concrete commitments to accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda and puts emphasis on the role of non-state stakeholders. It makes the first global commitment to digital public goods and digital public infrastructure; to open-source data, models and standards; and to data governance.
DECLARATION ON FUTURE GENERATIONS
Leaders agreed the first ever Declaration on Future Generations, recognizing our obligations and putting in place steps to systematically take future impact into account, consciously avoiding foreseeable harms to and safeguarding the interests of future generations.
Digital Democracy now also attended the opening ceremony of the Action Days:
There were over 150 events over two days. It is one of a lifetime event that helps youth shape the future they want and to put them at the center. It is inclusive for persons with disabilities and minorities. To recommit to resolve issues peacefully.
None of this is possible without Innovative, inclusive and multi-stakeholder partnerships.
Action Days brought over 7,000 people at United Nations Headquarters ahead of the Summit the Future. The historic Adoption of the Pact of the Future culminated two Action Days at United Nations Headquarters. These stakeholders have all played a key role in shaping the Pact for the Future and its annexes, and will be critical to implementation.
The opening session aims to ignite inspiration and action to advance meaningful youth participation in the UN and beyond – as an issue relevant and important to all sectors and actors. Through keynote speeches from diverse set of representatives, speakers will highlight the role of young people in driving positive change across sectors and broader society, which focused on three priority themes – digital and technology, peace and security, and sustainable development and financing. In addition to the three themes, there was also a dedicated focus throughout the day on future generations. Participants included Heads of State, Ministers, senior UN officials and representatives from the private sector, civil society and other actors.
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Outcome document: Pact for the Future
World leaders adopt a Pact for the Future that includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations (A/RES/79/1). The Pact covers a broad range of themes, including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance.
- Pact for the Future [pdf]
- Press release
- Statements
- Summit overview [pdf]
- Pact for the Future deck [pdf]
The summit of the future agenda
In the lobby in front of the youth graffiti
