Chair: The Sixth Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly is called to order. The General Assembly will continue the Summit of the Future under Agenda Item 123 entitled Strengthening of the United Nations System. I invite His Excellency Gabriel Boric Font, President of the Republic of Chile, to address the General Assembly.
Gabriel Boric Font: Very good afternoon to all of you who are with us today. The Secretary General has invited us to talk about the future when, without any doubt, I imagine that for the vast majority of us, it’s very difficult to even do and think about the present. Every day over the last few years, it’s become increasingly difficult to govern. There’s an undeniable democratization of information which is obliging us as those in government to be much more transparent to our citizens about how we take the decisions that we take, and there’s a feeling of unease. that’s running around the world in various forms, in which it seems that we can’t look ahead to the future optimistically. So we need to ask as members of the government what we need to do, what can we do to change this? Today I think that there’s an emerging consensus around the world that there are no longer or there shouldn’t be privileged classes and that the wealth that is created in the world should be distributed much more equally than it is today, both in the world between member states and nation states and also within nation states. And we need to be careful in how we use the finite resources that we have on our planet, in which the climate crisis, which is particularly striking many of our countries, has to be a priority. This is in part addressed in the sustainable development goals that we are seeking to achieve as member states of this organization. But President Lula recalled yesterday that if we continue at the same rhythm, only 17% of these goals will be met. So it’s very worrisome that we all come here to repeat the same words over and over again and go to a bilateral meeting without really understanding the urgency of the commitments that we’re making and that we’re not keeping to. Distinguished member countries of the United Nations, from Chile, I’d like to say. to you with frustration but also with hope that if we haven’t yet done what we need to do to build a better world, we still have time to do so. This means that we need to change our institutions. We need to ensure that there’s a conversation that’s always on the table but never concludes. We need to ensure that we have enough space to ensure that the United Nations, the United Nations was made in a world that no longer exists in 2024. 2024 is no longer 1945. We’ve seen this in various cases in which one or other country depending on a different conflict puts forward a resolution or vetoes a resolution. We have that in resolutions on Palestine and also on Ukraine. But yesterday’s world is no longer today’s. In the Security Council, for instance, in the Security Council today’s world is no longer represented. Chile has always aimed to become a member of the Security Council and we would like to demand that we change the rules of the Security Council to adapt to the world that we live in today. If we’re not able to adapt all of this institution in which we have serious reasonable people here on behalf of their countries, how can we then ask our own peoples to change? Distinguished guests, we have great challenges ahead. Without any doubt, the United Nations has been an important element in addressing challenges but it needs more vitality. We need to give it that ourselves by changing the rules of play, the rules of the game here. The generation that I belong to and the future generation nations are looking ahead to that.
Chair: I thank the President of the Republic of Chile. I invite His Excellency Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, to address the Assembly.
Mohamed Irfaan Ali: Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, yesterday we adopted the Pact for the Future. The task for us now is to move from ambition to action, actions that create an ecosystem of harmony between the environment, people, planet, and technology, but most of all, one that promotes human dignity. Poverty has been a constant for hundreds of millions for this and past generations. This we must change now. Ensuring climate security, food security, and energy security is paramount. Let us not rehash the climate story. We know it. We must act now. Extending the climate finance commitments can no longer be postponed. Forests are an integral part of the climate solution, and it is time that a global market-based mechanism for carbon credit be put in place. Our global food security… continues to deteriorate and the projections are alarming. It is estimated that $90 billion in annual global financing will be needed between now and 2030 to provide a basic social safety net. If we are not able to meet the basic need of feeding our people, the entire Agenda 2030 is in peril. It is our collective responsibility to provide the $300 to $500 billion needed to transform our global food system. Technology transfer, insurance for farmers, access to finance, and fair trade rules are all part of the solution. On energy security, this must be built on a platform of equity and access to technology. We must not be divided on addressing the digital divide. Too many still lack the basics of connectivity. AI can be a positive game changer for humanity, but also has the potential to widen the gap between countries and people. If we do not bridge the digital divide, our global community has a responsibility to ensure that AI is a force for good that benefits everyone. Excellencies, to do all of this, our public policies and global strategies must be aligned and our global institutions responsive. Outdated and broken global systems must be fixed. We must reform international financial architecture and make it more inclusive and conducive to sustainable development for all. But sustainable development cannot flourish without peace and security. We must end and prevent wars. The Security Council must also be reformed to be more representative, responsive, and democratic. If not, it will lose both its credibility and relevance. Excellencies, as we seek to create a fair and just world, we must focus on including all our people. No region, no country, or no group must be left behind. We must do more so that our women and youth are integral in all our decisions and actions. The future we envision must target directly the more than 340 million women and girls projected to live in poverty by 2030. It must also address the 110 million young women and girls projected to remain out of school by 2030, the 24% of women and girls projected to be food insecure, and the 245 million women and girls that will experience sexual or gender-based violence by 2030. The sustainable future we build must meet the needs and aspirations of the 1.3 million additional youths the world will have by 2030, ensuring sustainable development in which access to education, health, housing, and energy must be provided. Excellencies, we must now define an implementation plan for the PACT for the future to address the challenges in building a life of dignity for every global citizen. I thank you.
Chair: I thank the President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. I invite His Excellency Masoud Pezeshkian. President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to address the Assembly.
Masoud Pezeshkian: In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful, Mr. President, addressing today’s and tomorrow’s challenges demands collaboration rooted in justice and integrity. Let us build a just and thriving future for our children. The central focus of this joint effort is to highlight the role and status of the United Nations as a symbol of multilateralism and to promote respect for the goals and principles of its charter. The Islamic Republic of Iran has in the past expressed its views on the pact for the future. Our collaborative efforts for the future should focus on reinforcing the multilateral system to effectively tackle fundamental challenges like war, discrimination, poverty, and hunger. The role of culture and family values, the necessity of intergenerational dialogue to preserve cultural values, and the attention to the role of women, girls, and youth, as well as their empowerment, are undeniable. The priorities of my administration at the national level include a focus on health, public education, public welfare, social security, creating equal opportunities, and re-establishment. reducing various forms of inequality, fair income distribution, strengthening and consolidating the family institution, reducing poverty and discrimination, expanding social justice, empowering women and youth, and fostering the enjoyment of a sustainable environment. Mr. President, achieving peace and development require respect for the right to development of nations, attention to their development priorities and cultural nuances, adherence to principles of fairness and solidarity, and the fulfillment of commitments by developed countries towards developing nations. Unilateral sanctions have hindered progress towards sustainable development goals and must be addressed in any document prepared for the future. I propose to the UN Secretary General, in collaboration with countries affected by unilateral sanctions, present a comprehensive report on this matter to the General Assembly. We call for the urgent reforms in the governance structure of international financial institutions to ensure the participation of developing countries in decision-making and norm-setting, creating a fair and accountable framework to address the financial needs of developing nations. The Pact for the Future of the Global Digital Compact should contribute to reducing the digital divide between the global North and South, particularly through the transfer of new technologies, capacity building, and removing barriers. Equal and effective participation of the Global South countries in the governance of the Internet and Artificial Intelligence, respect for national laws, and addressing monopolistic practices are essential imperatives. Dear colleagues, we call for a world free of nuclear weapons and a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction without any preconditions. As a victim of terrorism, we have always been at the forefront of the fight against this vile phenomenon and are ready to cooperate with countries genuinely seeking to combat terrorism. Iran seeks a strong, secure and stable region where the resources of the countries can be used for mutual benefit in advancing economic and social progress and addressing common challenges. In a world where civilians in Gaza are ruthlessly killed, state-sponsored terrorism brutally targets children and women, and genocide and assassination are supported, no document will guarantee peace and development. The end of occupation, the cessation of apartheid in Palestine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza are prerequisites for global development and peace. The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to work with other countries to achieve common global goals. Thank you.
Chair: I thank the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I invite His Excellency Santiago Pena Palacios, President of the Republic of Paraguay, to address the Assembly.
Santiago Pena Palacios: Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, ladies and gentlemen, it’s an honor to address you today at this Summit of the Future. I believe that… This is a singular space where, as a military hero and a statistician of my country said, the future is the son of the present. So what we have adopted at this summit will have a direct impact on the lives of our children and grandchildren. The consensus that we’ve reached doesn’t mean necessarily that we have agreed on all matters. However, it’s a step forward to ensure that the system carries on working. Paraguay, as a small but active country, supports positions that are principles-based, not based on pragmatism or convenience. We’re convinced, therefore, that the basic principle of international relations in the future should be as follows. We should ensure that the most fair is powerful and the powerful are fair. The principle of equity should be the fundamental pillar of our multinational system. Therefore, we shouldn’t only be listening to the most developed or powerful countries, but rather all countries, including those such as Paraguay, which, with a rich history, has much to contribute. Paraguay loves peace and renounces war. We’re convinced that the future must be one of peace, removing further away from war and conquests. We can encapsulate this with the sentence, Mike does not make right. Therefore, we defend countries such as Ukraine, Israel, or Taiwan, which have the full right to be respected and treated in a dignified manner. We also defend the rights of countries such as Paraguay. Due to geography, are landlocked. We need to ensure that we have true equality between nations. For Paraguay, the future should also be built on the basis of democracy and respect for human rights. Our history, which has been peppered with dictatorship and authoritarianism, gives us a special right to say here that this future has to be democratic. We believe in multilateralism as the most effective tool to address the challenges that cross the borders of our countries. However, we need to recognize that current multilateralism has shown that it has serious shortcomings. We need to take action, not merely speak words. And we need to favor collective work. I therefore propose that in the crisis of multilateralism, we should respond with a better multilateralism. We are aware that food insecurity that is afflicting many regions of the world should mean that we focus on this issue. The measures to address climate change shouldn’t punish the smallest, but rather strengthen them to work towards a more sustainable future. Paraguay has 100% clean, green, renewable energy. That’s 100% is showing the path ahead. Within the United Nations, we have the responsibility to ensure that the digital revolution and emerging technologies are within reach of all and are used ethically and in a balanced manner, making sure that developing countries can have access to the same opportunities. We need to consolidate an international financial system that guarantees equitable access to necessary resources to promote the well-being of all countries, particularly developing and most vulnerable countries. We are concerned that the ability of emerging economies to address global challenges is hamstrung by effects on their growth. We need a solid system which is able. to overcome the crises afflicting the most neglected. We are well aware that this pact for the future is a result of intensive negotiations in which states have had to balance their own interests and their own pretensions. We need to underscore our lack of agreement with some of the substantive aspects of the document that’s agreed. I therefore need to think that we should say that this declaration is based on a non-binding document will be aligned with our national legislation. It’s therefore fundamental for Paraguay to preserve our values and our culture and ensure that they will always be respected in our country. The productive capacity, the microphone has been cut off.
Chair: I thank the President of the Republic of Paraguay. I invite His Excellency Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine to address the assembly. Thank you.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Thank you so much, ladies and gentlemen. It’s important that the world is working to develop a shared vision for the best future for humanity. As soon as such collective efforts begin, true interests are always revealed. Ukraine supports efforts to keep all nations united, safe, and strictly adhere to the UN Charter. And you all can see who always not only stands against it, but also also actively works to undermine global unity. This time, during the work on the Pact for the Future, the same small group of seven accomplices led by Russia has once again acted destructively, always opposing any global initiatives that strengthen the effectiveness of the UN Charter. This group has always behaved this way whenever the UN tried to do something that works for everyone’s good. And you all see it. I thank Germany and Namibia for their co-facilitation of the Pact for the Future. And I also thank Zambia and Sweden for facilitating the negotiations on the Global Digital Compact. My thanks go to Jamaica and the Netherlands who co-chaired the intergovernmental process on their Declaration for Future Generations. It’s very, very important that we hear a united voice from Africa now this common stance of African nations’ global efforts. And my sincere thanks to all the countries that have offered their helpful ideas for the future. The world needs a peaceful future and sustainable development. And I say this as the President of Ukraine, a country resisting Russia’s brutal colonial aggression. And we know exactly how much global unity can achieve both here at the UN and through the peace summits for Ukraine, where we aim to overcome the destructiveness of Russia and its accomplices. We are now preparing for the second peace summit. with our partners, step by step, according to the peace formula. And we are working on food security, energy security, and holding Russia accountable for its terror. Next, we will address all other points of the peace formula, including the release of prisoners, the restoration of territorial integrity, and more. And we are preparing a document to present at the second peace summit. I invite all leaders, nations to continue supporting our joint efforts for a just and peaceful future. Putin has stolen much already, but he will never steal the world’s future, I’m sure. Thank you. Slava Ukraine.
Chair: I thank the President of Ukraine. I invite His Excellency Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, President of the Dominican Republic, to address the Assembly.
Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona: Excellency, Mr. Philemon Yang, President of the 79th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Your Excellency, Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. Distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the people and government of the Dominican Republic, I congratulate the Summit of the Future, for which we come together to create a tomorrow based on the pillars of peace. of knowledge, peace, inclusion, and sustainability. As Peter Drucker was saying, the best way of predicting the future is by creating it. The first appeal for this summit should be to leave aside what is dividing us and seek what unites us. This is the best approach to come up with joint solutions which will have a direct impact on present and future generations. It also means taking seriously the decarbonization of our economies to address the climate crisis. And even though all countries need to contribute, nations such as the Dominican Republic will have a limited impact unless the main producers of greenhouse gases contribute in a proportionate manner, proportionate to their resources and impact. Both green funds and the commitments made in climate change must be prioritized. To fully harness the potential of artificial intelligence, we need to make it accessible and inclusive for all within the context of ethical and digital sovereignty, enabling us to transform manufacturing, education, health, and environmental care, and also ensuring that it isn’t turned into a tool of exclusion or exploitation. We are seeing in real time the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people who are suffering disproportionate unjustified violence for which they are not responsible. We need to seek incentives to avoid the nations violating the basic principles of coexistence and the peaceful settlement of disputes. At the same time, we must redesign the norms underpinning international institutions so that they can fully comply with their fundamental aims, safeguarding peace and international peace and stability. We reaffirm once again the unwavering commitment of the Dominican Republic to multilateralism, renewed effective multilateralism. We appeal for respect for and abidance by international law so that all states can have effective means to be able to ensure their security. President, none of this can be done without resources. We need to speed up the building of a new international financial architecture guaranteeing available resources for investment in development, well-being, environmental protection and climate resilience. The future is here. It’s our present. It’s the very cement on which we build today through all of the daily decisions that we take. The Pact for the Future is our opportunity to redefine a fairer, more equitable and sustainable future in which everyone, anywhere around the world, can prosper in peace with dignity and in harmony with the environment. Thank you very much.
Chair: I thank the President of the Dominican Republic. I invite His Excellency Mokgweetsi Eric Kaebetswe Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana, to address the Assembly.
Mokgweetsi Eric Kaebetswe Masisi: Your Excellency Mr. Yang, President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, From the outset, Botswana aligns herself with the statement made by Uganda on behalf of G77 and China and by Singapore on behalf of the Forum of Small States. States, and it is an honor to deliver this statement in its national capacity. Allow me to join other delegations in congratulating and commending Namibia and Germany for the exceptional job of overseeing the intergovernmental negotiations of the Summit of the Future. It could not have been an easy feat to comprehensively balance the divergent views and negotiate the Pact of the Future, an action-oriented and concise document. We are proud to join others during this historical moment as a demonstration of our shared political will and unity. Today is therefore a clear testament to the power of collective action and unity of purpose. We are pleased that the Summit offers an opportunity to redirect focus and chart a path towards the realization of our shared goals and aspirations as contained in SGDs. As the Summit reignites hope, we owe it to succeeding generations to demonstrate that no matter how bleak any situation may present itself, with renewed focus and vigor, no challenge is insurmountable. This historical moment will be remembered as a demonstration of our shared commitment to multilateralism and equally of our shared commitment to inclusivity. Mr. President, Botswana concurs and fully endorses the timely theme of the Summit of the Future, multilateral solutions for a better world, tomorrow, which reaffirms the need for addressing global challenges collectively. Botswana further welcomes the adoption of the Pact of the Future and its annexes, Global Digital Compact and Declarations for Future Generations. Mr. President, my delegation wishes to highlight some of the issues of great importance to us as contained in the Pact of the Future and its annexes. We welcome the emphasis that the three pillars of the United Nations Charter, being sustainable development, international peace and security, and human rights, are mutually reinforcing. as well as critical under international law. Botswana further wishes to underline the sustainable development and financing main, the primacy of developing nations. I cannot state in any stronger terms that poverty eradication in all its forms and dimensions should be prioritized. We need to pay attention to the most pressing of our needs and as such we should fully commit to reform of the international financial architecture under the auspices of the United Nations, close the digital gap between the developed and developing countries, address issues of youth and future generations by ensuring that what we do will not deny any of them the benefits and opportunities and ensure generational equity. Reform the Security Council, revitalize the General Assembly, ensure unimpeded access to humanitarian aid and lastly promote cooperation. Mr. President, I recall that in my statement during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, I highlighted the need for the United Nations to consider appointing a female candidate for the Secretary General position. I note that the pact acknowledges we have not done enough on this front and I concur unashamedly. It is imperative that we do our utmost to advance gender parity. My administration has placed this goal at the forefront of its key national appointments and I will continue to ensure that appointments for the empowerment of women and girls remains a central pillar of my administration. Mr. President, I am also delighted and welcome the different review mechanisms contained in the Pact for the Future, including its annexes, which aim to ensure that Congress concrete deliverables are outlined whilst ensuring a commitment to tenants of multilateralism. It is, however, key that we acknowledge that slow progress towards achieving these goals. Mr. President, allow me to conclude my remarks by assuring you and reaffirming Bhutan’s commitment to making every effort to contribute to meeting the goals that we have set ourselves for the benefit of succeeding generations. I thank you.
Chair: I thank the President of the Republic of Botswana. I invite His Excellency Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, to address the Assembly.
Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani: In the name of God, the most gracious, most merciful, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon Prophet Mohamed. Mr. President, this summit for the future is a window of opportunity for all peoples and countries to provide a future for all nations. The crises faced by our world recently and the challenges present a challenge to our common future. If we continue to achieve the SDGs following the same track, using the same mechanisms, following the same pace, within the foreseeable future we will not be able either to eradicate poverty or to achieve peace and security or to restore the environmental balance or create the sustainable development we want. May the peace and blessings of Allah be with you all. Progress in achieving SDGs have a negative impact on our present and future. Therefore, the African continent, as a union and individual states, have made tremendous efforts to achieve the 2063rd agenda, which is consistent with the 2030 agenda of the UN. This connection, Mauritania, has endeavored, like all other African countries, to fight violence, terrorism, vulnerability, and poverty. It contributed to ensure the economic integration of Africa, yet the results achieved regionally and internationally are not up to the standard. Even worse, the development and security gains have been regressed because of the wars, conflicts, climate change, the burden, imbalances in international governance systems. To address all these challenges, it has been incumbent on the international community to find solutions, effective and efficient solutions, that will establish a common agenda to accelerate the implementation of SDGs, to restore trust and regain solidarity among nations and countries, and to present a new dynamic to ensure multilateral cooperation and to reform the international financial structures. The UN Secretary-General, that is currently chairing the AU, welcomes the fact for the future that has been just adopted. We reiterate our call to reform the United Nations, in particular the Security Council, to allow our continent to have a voice so its priorities will be given the due consideration in the international agenda. We also call to address the debt issue and address the environmental needs and enhance international cooperation and ensure international peace and security so together we can take our planet away from the collapse that is experiencing. Thank you.
Chair: I thank the President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. I invite His Excellency Mohamed Younis A Menfi, President of the Presidential Council of the State of Libya, to address the Assembly.
Mohamed Younis A Menfi: Your Excellency, the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Your Highnesses, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, may the peace be upon you. At the outset, I would like to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Yang for his election to preside over this very important summit. I express also our greatest and deepest appreciation for the efforts and the endeavors in order to achieve the very important outcomes of this summit. Ladies and gentlemen, this summit represents an exceptional opportunity in order to take a deep look at the current challenges and to find innovative and comprehensive solutions we need to work together in order to ensure a better future for the upcoming generations. And with putting new focus on the very important principles of this summit, the summit puts us before a great responsibility. We need to change our approaches while dealing with the upcoming challenges. The technological advancement, especially the digital ones, offers us new tools in order to come up with sustainable and innovative solutions. These solutions are not merely just technologies, they should be the result of a very strategic way of thinking with a forward-looking touch in upholding social responsibility. We need to be cognizant of the fact that these tools are not merely artificial intelligence, they are strategical developments in order to be able to bring about a positive change in the society. In addition, we reiterate the importance of the comprehensiveness and the fairness. The disparities economically and digitally between countries still represent obstacles towards development. We need to bridge these gaps and guarantee equal chances and opportunities for all. Ladies and gentlemen, Libya works in order to uphold its regional and international role. It supports the principles, the same ones that this summit strives to achieve. We work in order to reinforce dialogue and cooperation in order to face our common challenges such as climate change, immigration. and terrorism, we are committed to work with our international partners in order to find innovative and sustainable solutions using the strategic experiences and expertise and using also new technologies to face these challenges. The geographic location of Libya as a transit country makes us cognizant of the challenges of the unregulated migration. We try to come up with sustainable solutions in order to face this phenomenon. We reiterate in this context the importance of international cooperation to deal with the root causes of the migration and to provide development in the countries and in alignment with the principles of the Summit of the Future. Ladies and gentlemen, this summit has a main objective, is to build a future where everyone has equal opportunities. We need to work together and overcome the regional disagreements and to unite our efforts in order to achieve this very noble objective. The cooperation between countries is not an option. It is a necessity in order to achieve sustainable development and social justice. We need also to focus on the intergenerational responsibility. This is a historical opportunity and we need to guarantee that our decisions, the ones we are making today, take into account the upcoming generations and guarantee a sustainable future for them. We can no longer go on exploiting the natural resources in a very irresponsible way. In conclusion, we reiterate the importance of adhering to the principles of the Summit of the Future, the one that is calling. for adopting sustainability, justice, and innovations in all walks of life. Through our joint efforts, we can overcome the upcoming challenges and to build a world where opportunities are for all, and we can all be prosperous and live in dignity and peace. Thank you, Mr. President.
Chair: I thank the President of the Presidential Council of the State of Libya. I invite His Excellency Gustavo Petro Urrego, President of the Republic of Colombia, to address the Assembly.
Gustavo Petro Urrego: Heads of State and Delegations Stephen Hawking, the famous physician, was once asked what he thought were the causes of potential extinction of humanity in the contemporary world, and he mentioned two. Firstly, artificial intelligence to the climate crisis. I think if we’re going to talk a little bit about the future, I think that we should be understanding the interlinkages between these two concepts, which were so dangerous in the view of Stephen Hawking. AI undoubtedly can be dangerous, or it could be dangerous, when there is a confusion for human beings between reality and lack of reality, the dividing line between reality and no reality. It seems that we are currently moving towards that. that and there, there’s a danger, an immense danger for humanity that this would mean that we lose our reference with reality. Secondly, artificial intelligence, I think, is here because it does substantially increase economic productivity, manufacturing on a per hour basis. And it can also take away hundreds of millions of jobs, leading to even greater inequality than we have at the moment. Thirdly, artificial intelligence increases productivity. It’s therefore highly energy consuming. Energy around the world is used to increase productivity, to produce more, to sell more, to earn more. And the only winner is capitalism. These three elements that we could see as negative, these three elements of artificial intelligence, use enormous amounts of energy, much more than we use today, will therefore contribute to the climate crisis. If artificial intelligence uses fossil fuel as a source of its energy, we will then, as Stephen Hawking said, be facing an Armageddon, the end. A world in this way would only politically lead us to the destruction of democracy and general barbarity, which we’re already starting to see. In Gaza, for example, control of humanity through artificial intelligence confuses mankind. They can no longer see what’s real and what’s unreal. And this would be run fully counter to the democratic project that we have as a republic in Colombia. And if on top of this, we… have an explosion of demand for fossil fuels, we will have the extinction of life on Earth. Stephen Hawking, I think, was right. An alternative view, if we manage to move towards clean energy in an immediate future, to give clean energy to artificial intelligence, and if we transform our productivity, the free time of societies and of people might, therefore, mean that we see other keys to development in the future. Clean energy, high productivity, societies with free time, this would be true wealth for a nation. And then a nation would need to be built on the basis of global democracy, in which anyone around the world, wherever they are, in any nation around the world, could be equal to everyone else, a global world that we still have to build. But my vision of the future, therefore, would lead us to the opposite of what Stephen Hawking saw as the threats, a global democracy which would plan the building of clean energy around the world, which would enable their growth. And they would allow for AI that elevates productivity, not on the basis of private earnings, which leads to much more unequal societies, but rather it would allow for emancipated wealth, allow for emancipated workers with free time. And we would, therefore, live with greater wealth and happiness. Thank you.
Chair: I thank the President of the Republic of Colombia. I invite His Excellency Bassirou Dioumaye Diakhar Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal, to address the Assembly.
Bassirou Dioumaye Diakhar Faye: Mr. President, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, I thank the Secretary-General for the initiative of organizing this summit, and I commend his efforts for a world of peace, a stable world where inclusive development reigns. The future we want requires us to leave no one behind, faced with the challenges to peace and security, reducing inequalities, eradicating poverty, justice and equity. We can only bring this future about if we pursue joint solutions that are rooted in a multilateral framework, a framework that inspires confidence and buy-in, and which serves everyone’s interests. Otherwise, it would continue to give rise to mistrust from some and scorn from others, and would thus lose the credibility and legitimacy that are attached to its authority. In this regard, I would like to share four observations with you. First, it is clear that our future cannot be built on the current model, which is dominated by injustices, extreme poverty that affects 10% of the world’s population, high-intensity geopolitical tensions, and unprecedented global warming, which is seriously affecting our countries. All of this is alarming and, as underscored, in reports by the UN Secretary General, if the current trends continue, 575 million people will still be living in extreme poverty in 2030. This will further hinder any hope of sustainable development. And in the face of this situation, it is essential that we attack the vicious cycle of debt, the abnormally high interest rates of which are suffocating many countries of the South. This system of inequity that is underscored in the recent UNCTAD report, constitutes a growing barrier to global prosperity, in particular in developing countries whose borrowing interest rates are between two and 12 times higher than those accorded to developed countries. To achieve better debt sustainability, we must reform conditions of access to credit above all export credit by easing the rules relating to loan interest rates and the length of grace periods and the terms of those loans. Secondly, the need to reform global political, economic and financial governance so that it reflects the realities of the present. Although progress has been made recently, including the G20’s decision to give a permanent seat to Africa and the decision by the member states of the IMF to give Africa a third seat on the executive board, a lot still needs to be done to guarantee the full inclusion of developing countries in those bodies. Thirdly, it is essential that we strengthen activities to promote education and vocational and technical training to combat ignorance and indoctrination and to provide young people with vocations and ways that they can flourish. Investing in this way would help to combat inequalities and would help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is therefore more than urgent that we accelerate the implementation of the SDG relaunch plan that was initiated by the Secretary General. Fourthly, it is essential that we invest more in connectivity and digitalization by strengthening digital infrastructure, innovation and support for the creative industry of young people upon whom the future will rely. We must provide young people with the means to learn, to succeed and to flourish. They must be at the heart of our activities and be involved in management and decision making as drivers of peace and of development. Thank you for your kind attention.
Chair: I thank the President of the Republic of Senegal. I invite His Excellency Prithvirajsing Roopun, President of the Republic of Mauritius.
Prithvirajsing Roopun: Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, We convene today at this Summit for the Future not merely as representatives of individual nations but as custodians of humanity’s collective destiny. We find ourselves in an era of unprecedented potential when human ingenuity offers lots of promises, yet countries are grappling with challenges that threaten to unravel the very fabric of our society. Climate-induced calamities, conflicts, the scourge of poverty and hunger, epidemics are not isolated occurrences, they form threads in the complex weave of our global agenda. It is this interconnectedness that brings us together under the theme multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow, which should also serve as a clarion call for action. The pact for the future is a covenant with posterity, a solemn promise to generations yet unborn that we, the stewards of today, will not falter in our duty to safeguard their inheritance. This pact must serve as the cornerstone upon which we build a more equitable, sustainable and resilient world. It must breathe life into our collective aspirations. Mauritius joins the international community in reaffirming our shared commitment to the principles enshrined in our pact. Mauritius has always prioritised inclusiveness and built a strong social protection system to create equal opportunities for each and every citizen. This commitment extends to our collective pursuit of equitable development where we acknowledge the paramount importance of ensuring equal access to economic opportunities and resources for all. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, SIDS stands as sentinels of climate change. Our challenges These are a microcosm of the global struggle against climate emergency and economic fragility. As the tides rise along our shores, so too must our collective resolve to address these existential threats. Similarly, while the international community strives towards these goals, we must commit to supporting initiatives that foster scientific and technological progress, wherein the internet vulnerabilities and specific needs of developing countries are taken into account. While we embrace the dawn of the digital age with open arms, we should do so tempered by wisdom. This is why our Pact for the Future, along with the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration for Future Generations, are all crucial parts of our forward-looking strategy. They all provide a roadmap for revitalizing our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and shall stand as a testament to what can be achieved when we unite in purpose and action. Mauritius reaffirms its utmost conviction to the principle of multilateralism and for the realization of this pact. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, together we can and must craft a future that honors the dignity of every individual, harnesses the true potential of every nation, and preserves what remains from our planet’s natural ecosystem. To the generations that will inherit the world we shape today, let our legacy be one of courage, foresight, and unwavering commitment. commitment. Let it be said that when faced with unprecedented tribulation, we responded with unprecedented solidarity. I thank you for your kind attention.
Chair: I thank the President of the Republic of Mauritius. I invite His Excellency Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere, President of the Republic of Fiji, to address the Assembly.
Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere: Mr. President, Heads of State and Your Excellencies, the world is in peril. Conflicts are raging. The climate crisis is escalating. Development is faltering. Our ecosystems are failing. Wise inequalities and injustice are everywhere. It is the most vulnerable who are suffering the consequences. Tomorrow, it will be our children, their children and succeeding generations, who will pay the price for our inaction. In the face of pressing global challenges, the values of multilateralism has never been more relevant and more urgent. Fiji acknowledges the summit of the future as an opportunity to strengthen our resolve and consensus on safeguarding the future of humanity. The pact of the future, which has been adopted at this summit, represents a collective commitment to do better together and leave no one behind. Mr. President, we have a common vision for sustainable future. How can we How we achieve this vision will depend on the efforts we undertake. We have only six years until 2030 to progress a sustainable development agenda. We must urgently recalibrate international cooperation and reform the multilateral system. We must be intentionally inclusive. We must work together as member states, supported by a multilateral system that is fit for purpose and in consideration of non-state actors, private sectors and all members of society. We must choose peace over conflict and respect human rights of all as enshrined in the UN Charter. We must respect and protect our environment and its resources on land, in the sea and in the air. We must trust each other, as trust is the foundation of strong partnership. We must be true to our word. Our legacy for the generations of tomorrow depends on the action we undertake today. We must do better for them. Mr. President, I thank you.
Chair: I thank the President of the Republic of Fiji. I invite His Excellency Xavier Espot Zamora, Head of Government of the Principality of Andorra, to address the Assembly.
Xavier Espot Zamora: Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, We are here at the summit of the future, one of the most decisive moments in the history of humanity, not just to consider the current challenges, but also to, together, forge a path that will lead us to a more just, more sustainable, and more inclusive future. And it’s high time that we do so. It is our responsibility as leaders to determinedly overcome the global challenges that are jeopardizing the well-being of future generations, our children and young people. The time has come for us to govern with greater modernity, humanity, empathy, and integrity. Andura stands ready to participate in a new stage in the history of the United Nations, where the spirit in which this organization was founded resurfaces. We commit to adhering to the Pact for the Future, a pact between peoples and for peoples. Following many attempts, it is urgent that we send a message to the citizens of the entire world and show them that multilateralism is the best tool, indeed, the only tool that we have to address universal challenges. Time has taught us that some challenges cannot be overcome unilaterally or by some groups of states alone. Climate change remains the most urgent crisis of our age. We cannot ignore this threat. We cannot leave the responsibility of resolving this problem to our children. The consequences have been felt for years, and they are devastating. They require immediate action, unconditional cooperation, and firm commitments. The transition towards a green economy is not a choice, but rather a necessity. There is no other choice. We are also living in an increasingly interconnected world in which digital. progress is transforming every area of human life. Artificial intelligence, gene manipulation, the increasing collection of biometric data, personalized medicine, and robotic manufacturing are undoubtedly advances that are generating confidence in human progress, but they could also have pernicious or harmful consequences depending on how they are used or the goals that are pursued with them. That is why, if we want technology to be a positive force, we must regulate it according to inclusive ethical criteria, making sure that nobody is left behind in this digital revolution. Data protection and the protection of private life also must become a global priority, and Andorra’s premise is this indeed, that it is adopted thanks to an ambitious digital transformation agenda. This is an agenda that includes an ethical and legal framework for the protection of citizens’ digital rights, protection of the private life, and the security of data and free access to digital information. Andorra has also set up an action plan aiming to improve the digital well-being of children and young people, and it was one of the first states to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Artificial Intelligence. Thus affirming its firm determination to strengthen human rights protection systems in the age of technological progress. Ladies and gentlemen, the triumphalist stance some experts have adopted, certainly sometimes justified, depending on the world that we live in, that has changed from 100 or 200 years ago, cannot be an excuse. We cannot allow ourselves to reject empathy and remain indifferent to the suffering that surrounds us, to the conflicts, wars, and to terrorism which is undermining global security. As the world changes, the security mechanisms that have protected us for decades need to be adapted. We must strengthen multilateralism, make its decision-making mechanisms more representative and more effective, and build the capacities of conflict prevention and mediation. Only open dialogue and diplomacy can lead to peace. Lastly, let us not forget the fight against inequalities. We must together work to redistribute opportunities and resources. The line that we need to follow continues to be the one that was laid out in the 2030 Agenda. Healthcare, education, decent work, gender equality, these must be our priorities. Allow me also to particularly focus on education, which is one of the most powerful tools that we have to transform our world. Andorra is convinced.
Chair: I thank the head of government of the Principality of Andorra. I invite His Excellency Siaosi Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni, Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Training, Minister for Police, Fire Services and Emergency Services, and Minister for His Majesty’s Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Tonga, to address the Assembly.
Siaosi Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni: Ladies and gentlemen, warm greetings from the Pacific, blue Pacific continent. I address you in my role as Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum at this critical summit of the future. The challenges we face are many, they are urgent, and they are interconnected. The beg for the future offers a path forward. This is a beacon of hope we all need at a time of escalating uncertainties. The PEC is introduced at a moment when there is a global demand for a more equitable, secure and sustainable world for our future generation. The PEC is a blueprint for how to get there. The PEC recognizes the importance of conducting science, technology and innovation ethically by ensuring we safeguard human rights. The PEC commits to safeguarding our shared planet’s resources and fostering an international order respecting human dignity and justice. The decision we make today will shape the future of our shared humanity. The 18 members of the Pacific Island Forum are determined to be proactive and will not leave our futures to chance. In 2022, the Pacific Island Forum launched the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. The strategy is the result of our vision of peace, security, social inclusion and prosperity. Vision alone does not suffice. This is our solemn commitment to our people and future generations to build our common resilience and prosperity. The Blue Pacific Continent, our home, is under threat. Climate change, geopolitical tension and ever-growing financial and economic disparities are testing our resilience. We are determined to do everything necessary to move this vision to reality for our people. But this depends largely on a stable, open and prosperous international order based on the UN Charter. This is the foundation for security we in our Blue Pacific never have and never will take peace for granted. The reform of the Security Council must encompass the security challenges of the 21st century and beyond, including issues like climate change and its agenda. Federal representation in the Security Council must include the voices of small island developing states. As far back as the last decade of the last century, we have sounded the alarm that climate change is a threat to the people of the Pacific. The situation has worsened over time, and what was once a threat has now become a crisis. A crisis which demands immediate and decisive action. Words are no longer sufficient. The Pacific Islands as frontline states are bearing the brunt of climate change. Yes, we are victims, but importantly, we also are leaders in the fight against this global challenge. We call for urgent, transformative global action to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Beg for the Future rightfully insists on the link between climate change and peace and urges the fulfillment of commitments to help vulnerable countries adapt and build resilience. We call for the reform of the International Financial Institution to reflect the realities of today and to be fit for purpose. For SIDS-MVI, it is essential for precisely assessing the challenges that we face. Let me turn for a moment to the Pacific Islands Forum. We have taken steps to build resilience. This includes pioneering the Pacific Resilience Facility, our first Pacific-led climate and disaster initiative. We have established key integrations, such as the integration on the continuity of statehood and protection of persons amid sea level rise and the 2021 integration on preserving maritime zones against climate change. impacts. We have also developed and endorsed the Pacific Regional Framework on Climate Mobility and introduced a framework for resilient development in the Pacific. Incidentally, the latter is the world’s first regional framework linking climate change and disaster risk. I firmly believe that a Back for the Future is a vital catalyst for the 2030 Agenda. The Back for the Future must be our commitment to a fairer and safer future for all. The Global Digital Compact is crucial for fostering a safe, inclusive, and sustainable digitalâ¦
Chair: I thank the Prime Minister and Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Police, Fire Services and Emergency Services, and Minister for His Majesty’s Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Tonga. I invite His Excellency Amadou Ouru Bah, Prime Minister, Head of Government of the Republic of Guinea, to address the Assembly.
Amadou Ouru Bah: Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, Heads of State and Government, Mr. Secretary General, Distinguished Guests, Our deep-rooted conviction is as follows. The future is not simply something that we achieve, it is something that we build together. On behalf of His Excellency General Mamadi Doumbouya, President of the Republic, the people of Guinea, and their government, I express to you our fraternal greetings and our congratulations to the Government of the Republic of Guinea. co-facilitators of our summit, the Republic of Namibia, and the Federal Republic of Germany. This summit represents a unique opportunity to transform our collective commitments into concrete and decisive action. The Pact for the Future is an ambitious framework for responding to the challenges that our planet faces, be it inequalities, climate threats, or the need to reinvent our approaches to sustainable development. We applaud the role of international cooperation in providing adapted responses. Investing in young people and in future generations must be at the heart of our action. We need to provide them with what they need so that they can fully realize their potential in a context where illegal migration is in the process of emptying our countries of their resources. Technological and digital innovations must be used in the service of all of humanity, because technology and innovation can only be beneficial when they benefit everyone. That is why we advocate for equitable access to technology while stressing the ethical issues in their use. Peace and security are essential elements of global stability, and they are a vital prerequisite for any sustainable development. We therefore call for strengthened cooperation among states, aiming to prevent conflicts and promote international diplomacy. Sustainable development and the financing of development are essential pillars in this global transformation. It is essential that ambitious and inclusive measures be adopted. to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. As a country that is involved in this, my country hopes that the international financing mechanisms will be strengthened to allow all nations, particularly the most vulnerable, to make progress towards sustainable, resilient and inclusive growth. In this vein, we cannot ignore the importance of preserving our environment, in particular, sensitive ecosystems such as the Futajalon Massif. This site, which is a genuine watershed for all of West Africa, is vital for the ecological balance in our region that affects 15 states. Protecting it is not just a national issue, but it is a collective responsibility. We firmly reiterate our commitment to getting it listed on the UNESCO Global Heritage List to ensure that it is conserved for current and future generations and to strengthen global efforts for sustainable development and to anticipate and prevent water-related conflicts. Today, we have a rare and precious opportunity to redefine our collective destiny. This summit must be much more than a simple meeting. It needs to mark a turning point where together we choose to build a tangible, inclusive and prosperous future for all. The Republic of Guinea is determined to contribute actively to the implementation of the Pact for the Future. We believe in the power of multilateralism and international cooperation to build a world where everyone can belong, a more just, more inclusive, more sustainable world. Long live international cooperation and long live multilateralism. Thank you.
Chair: I thank the Prime Minister, Head of Government of the Republic of Guinea. I invite His Excellency Lesley Voltaire, Advisor to the President of the Transitional Presidential Council of the Republic of Haiti, to address the Assembly.
Lesley Voltaire: Excellencies, Mr. President of the General Assembly, Your Excellency, Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ladies and Gentlemen, Heads of State and Government, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is with a great sense of responsibility that I address you today at this Summit of the Future. This event does not just represent a meeting of world leaders, it is also a critical moment in building a shared future based on the principles of solidarity, equity and justice. As the President of Haiti, a country facing many complex challenges, I wish to underscore the importance of the Pact for the Future, which we are adopting today at this Summit. This pact represents not only a historic commitment to renewed multilateralism, but also a unique opportunity to strengthen international structures so as to respond to the different economic, social and environmental realities that we face. The world is currently faced with unprecedented challenges that require stronger, more inclusive international cooperation. With this in mind, this Summit offers an opportunity to revitalize multilateralism and to modernize the United Nations system so that it is more inclusive and representative of the present realities. Global governance mechanisms need to be adapted to new economic and political dynamics and make sure that every nation, big or small, has a voice in settling global crises. This major event is also an opportunity to rethink global governance by addressing subjects such as financing of sustainable development, gender equality and the protection of biodiversity. In particular, reform of the international financial architecture is crucial in order to support the transition of some countries, in particular the least developed countries, the LDCs, towards sustainable development. It is essential that we make sure that the benefits of growth be equitably shared around the world. One of the cornerstones of the Pact for the Future is the inclusion of young people and the protection of future generations. Today, more than 1.9 billion young people live on our planet and their participation in decision-making processes is essential in order to ensure lasting peace and equitable development. All too often, young people are left behind or left out of economic and political discussions even though they have a vast potential to resolve global crises, be it climate change or social inequalities. In Haiti, the Transition Presidential Council and the government are working to integrate young people in all aspects of national reconstruction in collaboration with the international community. We will make sure that future generations do not bear the burden of the mistakes of the past, but rather that they benefit from progress towards lasting peace and social justice. This summit is an opportunity to reiterate this by making young people central actors in change rather than simple observers. Haiti faces a multifaceted crisis that is jeopardizing the very foundations of the state. The security crisis, fed by organ trafficking, drug trafficking, arms and munitions trafficking, on top of a humanitarian crisis, requires an urgent solution from the Haitian authorities with the assistance of the international community. Climate change, which is intensifying natural disasters such as hurricanes and droughts, is seriously affecting our country. These challenges go beyond our borders and require a collective global response. The stability of Haiti is essential not just for the region, but also for the global balance. In order to overcome these challenges, Haiti needs the support of everyone. Direct foreign investment, the fight against inequalities, and the bolstered support in security climate justice, these are all essential in order to ensure a prosperous future for our country. This summit of the future is a crucial stage in reiterating our collective commitment to multilateralism. International institutions must be reformed in order to become more inclusive and be better adapted to current challenges. The voice of developing countries such as Haiti needs to be heard in major international bodies where major decisions are taken. In order to better reflect the current geopolitical dynamics, Haiti advocates for genuinely equitable multilateralism where every continent and every state, regardless of its size or influence.
Chair: I thank the President of the Transitional Presidential Council of the Republic of Haiti. I invite His Excellency Mohammed Mustafa, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine, to address the Assembly.
Mohammed Mustafa: Good evening, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. In 2015, we gathered for the historic adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the most ambitious transformative plan of action for building a prosperous, equitable and sustainable world. More importantly, this agenda is centered on human dignity and shared prosperity in a just world where no one is left behind. Unfortunately, recent years have seen a surge in economic, political, climate and humanitarian crises deepening marginalization of vulnerable communities. If not addressed, these crises will undermine our multilateral systems and put us further away from realizing the goals of the 2030 Agenda. With the back to the future, we have an opportunity to reverse this dangerous trajectory by rebuilding trust in international institutions and paving the way for a future of peace, justice and sustainable future for all. Mr. President, in the State of Palestine, while striving to play a positive role in response to global challenges, we are regrettably further burdened by Israel’s illegal occupation and aggressions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. For over 76 years, our people have been forced to endure multiple man-made catastrophes that have directly undermined our efforts to achieve justice, peace, and prosperity. As I speak to you, before you, our people in Gaza are enduring one of the darkest chapters in modern history. For nearly a year now, Israel’s genocidal war has caused unprecedented loss and suffering and humanitarian catastrophe. At the same time, our people in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continue to face systemic threats driven by the escalating settler’s violence, military raids, movement restrictions, and financial siege, withholding of Palestinian tax revenues. Excellencies, despite long years of oppression and occupation, our people remain steadfast. We firmly believe that human capital is our greatest asset and are thus committed to enhancing the performance of our institutions, ensuring effective governance and service delivery to our people, and to creating an enabling environment where every Palestinian has the means to survive and thrive in peace and stability. The remarkable resilience of our people, even in the face of ongoing atrocities, renews our confidence that they will heal and rise from this tragedy. Palestine has demonstrated social resilience at the national level with our commitment standing strong in unity and perseverance. It’s now our collective duty to stop the aggression and to extend this resilience beyond the social sphere in our economy, in our infrastructure, and all areas of development. We must ensure that our people have the means to survive and thrive in peace and stability. that Palestine is equipped to cope, adapt, and transform in the face of diverse challenges, preparing ourselves not only to withstand future challenges but also to build a stronger, more resilient nation. Central to this goal must be a just transition, an essential framework in the 2030 Agenda. As proven in the past, Palestine can achieve economic growth and sustainable development, but this time we must ensure their pursuit is just, fair, and inclusive, ensuring every citizen benefits equitably, guaranteeing a prosperous, sustainable future for all. Let us act together with the global solidarity and cooperation inherent in the 2030 Agenda and Pact for the Future to overcome the challenges threatening humanity. Let us remain faithful to the principles we have affirmed in this summit by restoring hope to future generations, including the Palestinian people who must
Chair: I thank the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine. I now give the floor to His Excellency Filip Ivanovic, Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro.
Filip Ivanovic: Thank you very much. Honorable President of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, we have gathered here today to embrace the adoption of a new and ambitious agenda, the Pact for the Future, with the aim to make the UN more effective, credible, and relevant for the 21st century and multiple global challenges we are faced with. To achieve this goal, one of the main steps ahead of us is to reform decades-old institutions, bearing in mind that the world has been changed significantly from the moment of the creation of the United Nations. Such includes the Security Council reform, revitalization of the work of the General Assembly, and enhancement of the cooperation with regional organizations, private sector, CSOs, and other stakeholders. In this context, Montenegro welcomes the consensus reached on the outcome documents of the Summit and firmly believes that the Pact, along with its two annexes, will make a meaningful impact, paving the way to a brighter future for both present and future generations. Another important step towards a prosperous future for all citizens is to work together on accelerating the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals. Along this journey, we must ensure that no one is left behind. It is of utmost importance that we continue to mobilize resources for the least developing countries, which will enable them to make substantial impact. Dear colleagues, Montenegro was among the first countries to adopt the National Strategy for Sustainable Development until 2030. In this context, I would like to emphasize that Montenegro has already presented two voluntary national reviews in 2016 and 2022 on the implementation of the Agenda 2030. Furthermore, Montenegro is one of the 32 UN member states that has adopted the National Statement of Commitment to the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, which outlines specific pledges and benchmarks to focus on and enhance SDG actions in the coming years. As a new EU candidate country, Montenegro places great importance on complementarity and synergy between our EU agenda and SDGs and remains fully committed to making progress and achieving success in both processes. A revitalized role of the United Nations in the field of disarmament, an updated approach to collective security that could better prevent conflicts, the responsible use of artificial intelligence in military domain, and the adaptation of UN peacekeeping operations to new realities and threats, including enhanced protection of civilians in armed conflicts, are all crucial for ensuring a more just, secure, and peaceful future for all. In this regard, we welcome the UN Secretary General’s new agenda for peace and his recommendations. Excellencies, distinguished partners, we welcome the adoption of the Global Digital Compact, included as an annex to the Action-Oriented Pact, which aims to ensure that technology serves in the best interest of humanity, along with the efforts to bridge the global digital divide. Additionally, we support increased use of science in policymaking in order to ensure that more people could benefit from advancements in science, technology, and innovation. We also welcome the adoption of the second Annex to the Pact declaration on future generation, which reinforces our commitment to the meaningful participation of youth in the United Nations processes. Dear colleagues, we firmly believe that global challenges could only be effectively addressed through the joint cooperation of all international actors, ensuring a more inclusive, accountable, and effective global governance framework. In this context, allow me to reiterate that Montenegro remains a constructive partner in addressing these global challenges through revitalized and a more effective multilateralism strengthened by closer cooperation. cooperation, unity, and solidarity among countries, and reinforced by stronger international institutions. I look forward to working with all of you for the benefit of both present and future generations, and I am sincerely grateful for your attention. Thank you.
Chair: I thank the Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro. I invite His Excellency Aziz Akhannouch, Head of Government of the Kingdom of Morocco, to address the Assembly.
Aziz Akhannouch: Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, at the outset, I’d like to convey to you the greetings of His Majesty, King Mohammed VI, to those participating in this important summit. This is a summit that is being held in an international context that is full of complex challenges. It is a summit that provides us with a unique opportunity to renew our commitment to the United Nations Charter and to renew our collective commitment to establishing new dynamism in multilateralism so that we can achieve a better and more sustainable future for generations present and future. Ladies and gentlemen, Morocco is committed firmly towards the Charter of the Pact for the future, and we believe that implementing it will rely on five main conditions. First, we must establish peace and stability and development as the the foundation of our work because we cannot establish sustainable development without peace and peace cannot be achieved without economic progress and social progress. Therefore, we stress the need to develop a global approach that is inclusive and that is based on mutual respect and trust and dialogue. Second, we must renew multilateralism based on true and genuine political will and work collectively. We are required to enhance our work that is based on legitimacy and solidarity and here, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in his letter to those participating in the annual meetings of the IMF that were held in Marrakesh, in that, His Majesty stated that economic and social and political developments that have taken place over the past years require us to reform the institutions and the policies of multilateralism. Third, we must place Africa in the heart of the United Nations’ works and all measures that are taken here. And here, we ask, is Africa not a good indicator to evaluate our collective efforts to establish the highest aspirations of peace and stability throughout the world? We are thus required more than any time before to help Africa transform its current challenges into opportunities to achieve developments. Fourth, we must translate these commitments into tangible actions that are measurable, especially since combating climate change and combating terrorism and extremism and human trafficking and combating poverty and social inequality and food insecurity, all of these require renewed and active political will as for the climate. It is worth noting that Morocco has raised the level of its expectations in setting a new goal to lower greenhouse gases by 45.5% by 2030. And Morocco aims to enhance the level of investment in renewable energy, including green ecology, to achieve the objective of a 52% of clean energy in its energy basket by 2030. These are the same efforts that are being exerted in terms of social protection as well as enhancing nutritional and health sovereignty as has been confirmed by the latest comments by His Majesty the King in a speech from the throne in which he said, what we have achieved makes us believe in ourselves and have hope for the future. I thank you.
Chair: I thank the head of government of the Kingdom of Morocco. I now give the floor to His Excellency Ian Borg, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta.
Ian Borg: solutions together at this summit for a common purpose, to make the world a better place for present and future generations. Together, there is nothing we cannot achieve. Second, to create a better future, we must accelerate action right here, right now. Achieving the SDGs by 2030, or net zero by 2050, requires immediate action. Number three, this summit is not a final destination, but a stepping stone, a journey. We celebrate the positive elements in the pact for the future, and we encourage member states to be even bolder in their vision and use this occasion as a springboard towards even more ambitious action. And fourth, we must recognize the intercorrectedness and harness the synergies across the three pillars of the United Nations â sustainable development, peace and security, and human rights. The UN stands tall when these three pillars are strong. On international peace and security, a comprehensive approach encompassing these three pillars is essential in a world where conflict and crisis are becoming increasingly complex and interconnected. We support Secretary General’s call, now reflected in the pact, for a greater focus on conflict prevention. The participation of women and youth in peace processes is crucial to prevent and resolve conflict, build and sustain peace. And we must address the adverse impacts of climate change on international peace and security. On sustainable development, holistic action across its economies. economic, social, and environmental dimensions yields the best results. It’s unacceptable that extreme poverty and hunger continue to persist in today’s world. In this pact, we will commit to eradicating them. We must turn climate and environmental challenges into opportunities for a cleaner, greener world by scaling up renewable energy, transitioning away from fossil fuels, and achieving net zero. We must also work to ensure our oceans’ health, resilience, and sustainability, and take action to address sea level rise, which disproportionately impacts small island developing states. Let us harness the benefits of science, technology, innovation, and digital cooperation to improve every aspect of our lives, while keeping a watchful eye on potential threats. In an era of globalization and rapid change, governments should act as catalysts and facilitators, creating enabling environments for collaboration and dynamism, while also embracing the power of multi-stakeholder action. We’ll highlight the importance of investing in young persons, providing them with ample opportunities of quality education to reach their full potential, empowering them, and ensuring their engagement and participation. They are the innovators, entrepreneurs, dreamers, and creators who shape this world. Through this pact, we also acknowledge that children are very much our present. We are committed to their protection from armed conflict and violence, to work towards the eradication of poverty and hunger, and to put more children in schools and invest in their education. We must respect, protect and fulfill the human rights and fundamental freedoms of every person on this planet, regardless of their nationality, race, skin color, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. We reiterate the need to reduce inequality and leave no one anywhere in the world behind. Gender equality, the empowerment of all women and girls and their full, equal and meaningful participation in the decision-making processes are essential prerequisites to sustainable development. Together, we are stronger. We join hands at this summit of the future to support efforts towards transforming global governance and a strengthened multilateral system, with the UN at its heart, embracing structural and systematic reform towards a system that is more effective.
Chair: I thank the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta. I now give the floor to His Excellency Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore.
Vivian Balakrishnan: Your Excellencies, a stronger multilateral system where rules are applied universally is vital. Peace and security depend on adherence to international law and the UN Charter. We strongly support the Pact for the Future and the accompanying Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations. These are critical building blocks for a stronger, future-ready multilateral system. We reaffirmed our commitment to international law and the UN Charter. This is vital amidst the intensifying conflicts and geopolitical tensions today. We must all recommit ourselves to peaceful resolution of disputes through diplomacy. A world in which respect for sovereignty, for territorial integrity, and international law that is being eroded will become a very dangerous world for current and future generations, and especially for small states. Second, we adopted the groundbreaking Global Digital Compact. As digital technologies continue to shape our lives in all-encompassing ways, we need to establish common rules to unlock its transformative potential whilst mitigating the risk. More than two-thirds of the UN’s targets for sustainable development can benefit directly from digital innovations. Singapore has worked with Rwanda to launch an AI playbook for small states. Together with our capacity-building efforts under the Digital Forum of Small States, this AI playbook will empower all of us to leverage AI for public good. Third, we are glad that the Declaration on Future Generations emphasises youth engagement. Young people have an even bigger stake in the future that they will inherit. The emphasis on incorporating anticipatory planning and foresight in our work is most timely. We must ensure that the policies we make today are future-ready to build a better world for successive generations. Excellencies, the adoption of the Pact represents the start of a long and essential journey to reinforce and renew our multilateral system. We need to summon collective commitment. to stay the course. We need to embrace the spirit of compromise to find common solutions. We must also have the courage to take the bold action essential for the long-term well-being of future generations. We must forge a future that is fair, just, equitable and inclusive. Thank you, Excellencies.
Arnoldo Ricardo Andre Tinoco: Mr. President, Excellencies, The Pact of the Future is not only a vision, but actually an urgent call to collective action. The call is to put dialogue over arms, negotiation over coercion and cooperation over competition. The pact that we adopted yesterday puts prevention at the heart and urges us to invest politically and financially in it. Because prevention not only saves lives, but it also protects the progress made in development. The pact reiterates our profound disappointment at the lack of progress in nuclear disarmament. However, it falls short in establishing specific deadlines for nuclear weapon states to destroy their enormous arsenals. It doesn’t even mention the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. nuclear weapons, which is our compass here. Nuclear weapons threaten our present and our future. The pact recognizes climate change as the greatest threat for future generations and underscores that collective action is essential to address this, in particular for the greatest emitters. Costa Rica welcomes the stress put on climate action and the conservation of biodiversity. And we appeal to all states to speed up efforts to comply with obligations under the Paris Agreement and the global biodiversity coming Montreal framework and thus curb the loss of biodiversity by 2030. The pact calls on us to lift up our ambition levels for the ocean, to have a vital planet. We need a healthy ocean. From it, we get 50% of the oxygen that we breathe. It is the greatest source of protein around the world, the greatest carbon sink and climate regulator. And its biodiversity sustains 3 billion people around the world. Hence, it’s urgent that as soon as possible, the Treaty of the High Seas, the BBNJ, enters into force and that we conclude the Treaty on Plastics and do not begin mining of the deep ocean until we can prove that it will not have harmful effects on the marine environment. I invite you to participate in the third UN conference for the oceans with Costa Rica and France as co-hosts. This will be held in Nice in June 2025. We hope there to be able to seek common solutions there for the challenges. that we face. We welcome the fact that the Pact faces on science, technology and innovation as facilitators of sustainable development. Establishing governance frameworks for artificial intelligence is one of its most important agreements. Costa Rica supports the establishment of a scientific international independent panel on artificial intelligence, and the United Nations can and must develop international consensuses to address the challenges that the planet and artificial intelligence are raising and thus protect future generations. The Pact also sends out a political sign at the highest level that it is time to start having urgent conversations, particularly for those who need an international financial architecture that is fairer, more equitable and more representative, that meets the needs of the most vulnerable countries and those that are most affected by economic and environmental crises. This would be a system that guarantees access to finance for all, including concessional financing. Excellencies, we hope that by the end of this, it is thought that by the end of this century, the planet will be home to more than 10 billion people, the majority of whom will be in developing countries. Ensuring equity and the involvement of women and young people in decisions that will guide their future is fundamental to build fair and sustainable societies in which their voices are heard and their rights are respected. The Pact calls on us to overcome our differences and to take decisive steps to protect our planet.
Chair: I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica. I now give the floor to His Excellency Amery Browne, Minister for Foreign and CARICOM Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago.
Amery Browne: Mr. President, The convening of this summit is crucial to renew global solidarity, to meet our existing commitments, to take advantage of new opportunities, and to effectively identify a clear path to address contemporary challenges. In our quest to achieve sustainable development, we must ensure that all Member States are on a level playing field. Those who are particularly in unique circumstances must be afforded the necessary support through international cooperation in order to truly ensure that none are left behind. Accordingly, we must not renege on our commitments to LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDs. Therefore, Mr. President, Trinidad and Tobago underscores the importance of the reform of the international financial architecture and emphasizes that official development assistance should be guided by the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index. Mr. President, it is truly regrettable that at this time the international community is failing at the maintenance of peace and security globally. The unprecedented escalation in the number and scale of conflicts contradicts the very purpose for which the United Nations was built. We must act now. boldly and decisively to effectively bring an end to these conflicts and to achieve sustainable peace for all. The ease of access to illegal firearms in the Caribbean countries continues to harm our societies with unacceptable consequences. In this context, it is imperative that there is better cooperation within and amongst national, regional, and global stakeholders to combat, prevent, and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. Mr. President, Trinidad and Tobago recognizes the role of science, technology, and innovation for us to achieve sustainable development. However, as we progress into an era of high dependence on technology and rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, we must also acknowledge the magnitude of the associated risks. Therefore, as a small developing state, we are not only advocating for cooperation aimed at bridging the digital divide, but also for strengthening our capacity in cybersecurity to address those risks. Mr. President, our young people are key stakeholders in our pursuit of sustainable development. Consequently, we must ensure that they are equipped with the necessary tools and provided with opportunities to reach their full potential. Additionally, our policies and programs must include provisions to ensure the well-being of future generations. In this context, Trinidad and Tobago remains unswerving in our commitment to enhance the quality of life of our youth population and that of future generations. Mr. President, the father of our nation and first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Eric Williams. in a statement in 1968, affirmed that the central responsibility of the UN is the maintenance of world peace, not only through conciliation and discussion, but also through the promotion of human development. His words remain relevant even today in reminding us of the importance of fulfilling our obligations as responsible members of our United Nations. Mr. President, I thank you.
Chair: I thank the Minister of Foreign and Curriculum Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago. I now give the floor to His Excellency Jeyhun Aziz oglu Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.
Jeyhun Aziz oglu Bayramov: Mr. President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, The world stands at a crucial crossroads, facing unprecedented challenges, including climate change, ravaging conflicts, geopolitical tensions, and rising inequality. At this critical juncture, the summit of the future is an opportunity to address pressing challenges, bridge the gaps, and show that a multilateral system can deliver with a unified voice. Azerbaijan, as itself, lived through the most tragic consequences of violations of international law, including humanitarian law, and had been subject to injustice of non-implementation of the Charter and series of resolutions of main organs of the United Nations. nations. It is against this background that Azerbaijan fully recognizes the call of this summit for strict compliance with international law and reversal of the erosion of international norms. The Charter, as well as all the instruments and mechanisms set out therein, must be applied unreservedly without any double standards, political, geographical, or whatsoever preferences. Excellencies, we meet the halfway mark for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with only 17 percent of the SDG targets on track. There is an urgent need for turning our political commitments into decisive action to achieve progress. In this regard, Azerbaijan fully supports Secretary General’s efforts to galvanize progress on the SDGs and remains committed to the pledges made in the 75th anniversary declaration. At the national level, we are making progress by authorizing 17 goals, 88 targets and 119 indicators, and setting an example for others to follow. This has been achieved through a collaborative and inclusive process involving civil society, the business community, women, youth, and other key stakeholders. Liberation of our territories from occupation opened a new page also in terms of attainment of SDGs. The government has embarked on large-scale reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts worth tens of billions of U.S. dollars, covering all aspects of implementation of SDGs. Moreover, Azerbaijan has introduced a national goal, SDG 18, focusing on mine action. We call for greater international support and solidarity, as demining is crucial for addressing immediate humanitarian needs, restoring livelihoods, and revitalizing communities. We are also among the few countries worldwide and the first in our region to submit four voluntary national reports on the 23rd Agenda. for Sustainable Development Report, Azerbaijan ranks ahead of the two-thirds of the countries. Excellencies, Azerbaijan has entered into a new era, having restored its rights to sovereignty and territorial integrity safeguarded under the Charter. By putting an end to the illegality of the use of force, Azerbaijan has initiated post-conflict normalization agenda with Armenia, fully based on mutual recognition of and respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Building upon the progress that was made through bilateral negotiations, we call for expeditious actions to address the remaining impediments and underline the importance of exercising necessary political will and responsibility. Ladies and gentlemen, it is imperative to address climate change as the greatest transnational challenge of the century. It is not a future risk, but a present danger to billions of people worldwide. In November 2024, Azerbaijan will host the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Guided by the call in solidarity for a green world, Azerbaijan will spare no effort to strengthen collaboration for a more climate-resilient and sustainable world. We aim to bridge both developed and developing countries and foster collaborative spirit to tackle climate challenges as a common commitment and moral duty. As the COP29 incoming presidency, we have been working inclusively with all parties and non-party stakeholders. COP29 Azerbaijani presidency’s overarching and inclusive strategy is anchored in two mutually reinforcing pillars, enhance ambition and enable action, with establishing a new climate finance goal as a key priority this year. COP29 will also be an opportunity to contribute to both global peace and climate agenda. Given the intersection of conflicts and climate crisis, Azerbaijan has introduced a flagship COP29 Truth Initiative embedded in joint solemn appeal, announced a few days ago. We call for unity and respect for the truths during the months of COP.
Chair: I thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. I now give the floor to Her Excellency Celinda Sosa Lunda, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
Celinda Sosa Lunda: Thank you very much, President. I’d like to begin by conveying the brotherly greetings on behalf of the Bolivian people and our President Luis Arce Catacora. President, distinguished colleagues, humanity and our planet are facing the effects of the multidimensional crisis of the capitalist system. This is reflected in a rise in poverty, in inequality, in food insecurity, the climate crisis, war, among other scourges. If we’re not able to address global problems with collective solutions, we will be facing the possibility of the collapse of the whole of mankind. For this reason, cooperation, solidarity, complementarity, peace, a balance with nature, respect for sovereignty and the self-determination of peoples must be the common values that guide the decisions that we take and the new paths through which we will build. In this context, the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations are important. important instruments that allow us to look ahead to a better future for present and future generations. This pact has the great aim of correcting profound inequalities created by centuries of economic, political and social domination. Regrettably, we must also recognize that the Sustainable Development Goals will not be attained as was planned by 2030. However, we believe that the Pact for the Future must serve as impetus to speed up the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. President, colleagues, allow me to share three principles that we deem important for the implementation of the Pact for the Future. Firstly, equity in global governance. In the modern world, from the global south, which is home to the highest number of countries and people around the world, multilateral decisions must be collective. They must be taken on an equal footing with respect for sovereignty and the sovereignty enjoyed by all states. This involves undertaking real and deep-rooted reform of the UN Security Council, of international financial organizations and other multilateral fora. Secondly, climate justice and sustainable development. Our nations are the ones that have been most affected by the climate crisis, despite the fact that they are the least responsible for it. The commitments that have been made under the Pact for the Future must guarantee common but differentiated responsibilities among developed and developing countries, ensuring the funding that has been pledged for for adaptation and mitigation. It is not acceptable for those countries that are most responsible for climate change to now attempt to renegotiate the content of the Paris Agreement. Once and for all, we must build a development model based on respect for Mother Earth and the rights of all our peoples. Thirdly, capacity building. In a world in which technology is advancing quickly with artificial intelligence and already forming a part of our daily lives, it’s important for developing countries to be able to achieve the same technological development for health, education, among other areas, so that our societies can have a necessary ability to address the challenges of the future. Women and young people of the Global South are the greatest drivers in our society. For this reason, it’s fundamental that we invest in their development so that they can lead the change that we need. Furthermore, we recognize the inclusion of and the reference to the most vulnerable sectors in our societies. These include indigenous peoples and women. However, their inclusion continues to be insufficient. Bolivia believes it’s important to progress in, to undertake further deep-rooted reform. We propose promoting decolonization and dismantling the patriarchy.
Chair: I thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. I now give the floor to His Excellency, David Lammy, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom.
David Lammy: Mr President, I stand here as a man of multiple identities, a Londoner, a patriotic Brit, a lawyer proud of my African, Guyanese, Caribbean and Indian heritage, a committed multilateralist who believes in the importance of the United Nations. I agree with my great predecessor Ernie Bevin when he said in 1945, our eyes should be fixed upon the United Nations, all nations of the world should be united to look that way. The purposes and principles of the UN remain as indispensable today as in Bevin’s time. Our task is to recapture that founding spirit so that when we reach the UN’s centenary, their legacy endures. But we cannot ignore the challenges we face. More conflicts than at any time since 1945, costing the global economy over $900 billion and creating the most refugees and displaced people on record. Geopolitical tensions are rising, progress against the Sustainable Development Goals stalling, trust in multilateralism faltering. The pact for the future and this summit offer a chance for Member States to show responsible global leadership. to engage with the rapid changes of our age and go further in meeting the needs of everyone, especially the most vulnerable. As I know all too well, countries of the Global South suffered great injustices in the past, and I’ve heard repeatedly how frustrated partners are by the unfairness of the global system. We cannot ignore these frustrations, we must act. First, as the Secretary General has said, we need greater collective efforts to prevent and end conflict. For Britain, that means upholding Ukraine’s sovereignty, urging an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, and supporting an end to the fighting in Sudan. It means robustly challenging member states who violate the Charter, rejecting a world in which might makes right. It means a more representative Security Council. It means supporting the international rule of law and applying it equally and fairly, which is why Britain has proposed the outstanding Professor Dapo Agande for election as a judge at the International Court of Justice. Second, we need urgent action on the climate and nature crisis. With this new government, Britain is renewing our ambitions at home, aiming to deliver clean power by 2030, and I am determined that we also reconnect abroad, building a global clean power alliance, championing creativity and reforms to unlock international climate and nature finance, particularly from the private sector, and bolstering efforts to protect at least 30 percent of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030. Third, countries like Britain must modernize our approach to development. This government believes partnership, not paternalism, is the way to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals, making best use of technology, putting indigenous people and local communities, including women and girls, at the center of decision-making on development. development programs, driving faster reform of the global financial system to strengthen the voice of the most vulnerable and tackle unsustainable debt. Friends, action on conflict, climate and poverty, delivered by a reformed multilateral system. This is the path to peace and prosperity on a livable planet all over the world, in every war zone, every refugee camp. The UN is there, a beacon of hope and humanity to which, as Bevin said, the gaze of all nations should turn. This summit must direct the world’s eyes towards that beacon once again, and Britain is proud to support it. Thank you very much.
Chair: I thank the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom. I now give the floor to His Excellency Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States.
Antony Blinken: Good afternoon. At this summit, Secretary General Guterres and many world leaders have argued powerfully that to fulfill the crucial purpose of the United Nations, we urgently need support, reform and revitalization. The United States fully agrees. That’s why we join fellow member states in shaping and committing to a broad range of priorities in the Pact for the Future, forging the Digital Global Compact, signing on to the Declaration on Future Generations, enabling the United Nations and international institutions to better respond to shocks like pandemics and natural disasters made more severe by the climate crisis. climate crisis, addressing growing and diverse threats to international peace and security on land, the sea, the air, in outer space, and in cyberspace, ensuring that universal human rights are respected equally online and offline, empowering women and girls across the UN’s efforts, reforming the UN Security Council to better represent the developing world and, more broadly, the world as it is today. The United States believes that this should include two permanent seats for Africa, one rotating seat for small island developing states, permanent representation for Latin America and the Caribbean, in addition to the permanent seats for countries we’ve long endorsed, Germany, Japan, India. The United States supports starting negotiations on council reforms immediately. The pact for the future does not include every priority, every reform that we believe the UN needs, but it is a significant step toward strengthening and evolving this institution that every member state should get behind and work to achieve. We’re also pursuing reforms in other international institutions, as well as in our own country, that advance the bold goals and the aspirations of many member states, particularly those we’ve heard directly from developing countries. We strongly supported the African Union joining the G20 so that African voices are better represented in that group. We’re leading efforts to strengthen the ability of multilateral development banks to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals. We’re making the biggest investments of any country ever to accelerate the transition of clean energy at home, while dedicating billions to help people in developing countries adapt to and manage the impacts of the climate crisis. And as the world’s leading humanitarian donor, we are forging new partnerships across public and private sectors. to meet what are unprecedented needs around the world. These are important steps, but more must be done because simply preserving the status quo is not an option. The United States is committed to adapting the UN system to reflect this world of today and tomorrow, not the one that existed in 1945. But we are, and we will, remain resolutely opposed to revisionism. We will not accept efforts to tear down, dilute, or fundamentally alter the core principles of the UN Charter â sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence. We will continue to affirm that no member state has the right to redraw borders by force or repress their own people. We will continue to oppose the idea that nations can assert spheres of influence or dictate who other countries ally or partner with. We will push back fiercely against attempts to undermine the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international human rights treaties. It’s one thing to revitalize, to reform, to adapt the organization to meet the challenges of the future. It’s quite another to try to change its core purpose and principles that are essential to avoiding repeating horrors of the past. In this pact for the future, reform has pride of place. Revisionism should have no place at all. At a time of great testing for the multilateral system, that’s an accomplishment we can and we must build on in the years to come. The United States is committed to this collective effort. We know that we’re stronger, we’re better off, we’re more effective when we’re all working together in common purpose. This is what the world needs in this moment, and it needs a strong multilateral system if it is going to meet the goals and aspirations of the people that we all represent. Thank you very much.
Chair: I thank the Secretary of State of the United States. I invite Her Excellency Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark, to address the Assembly.
Mette Frederiksen: Dear colleagues, To give everyone the opportunity to live good lives in freedom and in dignity, that is our most noble task, a task that can only be achieved if we truly commit ourselves to work together. Right now, we see brutal and tragic wars around the world, in Africa, in the Middle East and in Europe. And as a world community, we are faced with human disasters â poverty, hunger, climate change. If we do nothing, it will only get worse. The decisions we make today will define the future for generations to come. This is why the Pact for the Future is such an important step forward for the United Nations. Thank you, Namibia and Germany, for your lead for the Pact, and for the commitment of Secretary General Guterres. It has not always been easy, but it has been a great example of successful cooperation. The negotiations have focused on concrete and action-orientated results, with the necessary willingness to find workable compromises. It is truly significant that we have been able to adopt the Pact by consensus. We need a global system that is far more equal, that promotes solidarity and fair representation for a future with more equality. Where we ensure fair representation, especially of the African countries, we have discussed this for decades. Now it is time to make it happen. We must also face a truth that can be a bit difficult for all of us, that our current international financial system is outdated. Right now it cannot respond to the challenges we face. Old patterns and power structures stand in the way of the necessary progress. We have to reform to make it fair, to make it just and more responsive, so that we will be able together to mobilize finance at the scale we need to, when we need to, and invest in sustainable development, education for all kids, health for all human beings, and not least climate solutions. Denmark already gives a good contribution to the International Development Association, and I am proud today to announce that we intend to increase it with 40 percent. Next year, Denmark will join the UN Security Council. We know that it is a huge responsibility. We will do our very best to ensure implementation of the pact, and we look forward to work with all other members to promote, hopefully, a constructive cooperation and push for a more accountable, effective, and representative Security Council. Dear colleagues, I think we stand at the crossroads. It is what we do that really matters now. We need to set a better course for our world, to make it more more fair and to make it more just, so all people all over the world have the opportunity to live good lives in freedom and in dignity. Thank you.
Chair: I thank the Prime Minister of Denmark. I now give the floor to His Excellency Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France.
Jean Noël Barrot: Mr. President of the General Assembly, Deputy Secretary-General, ladies and gentlemen, heads of state and government, ladies and gentlemen, ministers, ladies and gentlemen, ambassadors, dear colleagues, we are here today to reaffirm our commitment to an ambitious, effective and representative multilateralism to address the challenges of tomorrow. Many of you want to advance our multilateral system, a system founded on respect for the rules of law and clear principles established following the Second World War, founded also on respect for the United Nations Charter, a system based on cooperation among nations, sustainable development for all and solidarity between countries. A system which today must be reformed because global governance must be both more representative and collectively more effective. Everyone has to contribute to this and everyone has to shoulder their share of the responsibility. I thank the Secretary-General for allowing us to make headway on this essential task for future generations, which France firmly and determinedly supports. Mr. Secretary-General, this summit of the future must allow for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. on schedule. We need to accelerate our efforts to respond to climate challenges. In line with its historic engagement within the United Nations, France has worked to make sure that the Pact for the Future lives up to Member States’ expectations when it comes to reform of the Security Council. We call for an expansion in the two categories of members and a heightened presence of Africa, including among the permanent members. In the same vein, we have a joint initiative with Mexico to limit the veto in the case of mass atrocities, which is already supported by 106 states from every region of the world. France is also innovative in terms of its proposals for reform of the international financial architecture in the spirit of the Paris Pact for Peoples and the Planet, launched by the President of the Republic at the Paris Summit in June 2023. The new Peace Agenda must allow us to modernize the United Nations’ tools for international peace and security. We need to ensure that peace operations, which have changed a great deal, allow us to respond to new challenges. I commend the work of Blue Helmets. Each day, they work for peace and security around the world. I’m thinking of the men and women of UNIFIL in Lebanon and the French contingent there. I’m thinking of the Lebanese people, as Israeli strikes have just killed hundreds of civilians, including dozens of children. These strikes, conducted on both sides of the blue line and in the region more broadly, must immediately end. France once again calls upon the parties and those that support them to de-escalate and avoid a regional conflagration that would be devastating for everyone, first and foremost the civilian population. For that reason, I have asked for an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Lebanon this week. remain fully mobilized to resolve major crises that are disrupting the international agenda. France will take initiatives and will continue to condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and demand peace in respect of the law. We’ll continue to demand the release of all hostages respect for international humanitarian law and a ceasefire in Gaza. France considers that all human lives are equal in dignity. France will never turn its gaze away from any armed conflict and will continue its initiatives to support Sudan together with its partners. Mr. Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, you’ve asked us to look to the future, and this future will be marked by great progress in the digital sphere, first and foremost in artificial intelligence. The Global Digital Compact records the commitment of all of the international community to coordinate on these new challenges. The digital revolution should not further increase the digital divide and must serve the Sustainable Development Goals. This priority will be at the heart of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit which will take place in France on the 10th and 11th of February. The fight against climate change and for the protection of the environment is not a subject of the future, but rather a challenge of the present. The climate threat is running rampant and inaction and a lack of ambition are at fault here. We owe our populations determined, tangible, immediate and effective action. It is with this in mind that the President of the French Republic, the President of Kazakhstan and the President of the World Bank will this year co-organize the One Water Summit. Thank you.
Chair: I thank His Excellency Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France. I now give the floor to His Excellency, Rexon Ramufafia, Minister for National Planning and Development, Coordination of the Solomon Islands.
Rexon Ramufafia: Mr. President, on behalf of the people and the government of Solomon Island, I am honored to address this forum. This summit is confined against the background of SDG. Progress is prevailed. The multilateralism and the international financial architecture being out of touch for our global realities. Mr. President, Solomon Island has a relatively small and open economy, which makes us highly susceptible to excess shocks. Our dispersed economic geography tightens the cost of connecting and bringing service to our people. So has the cost of domestic and international trade. We are also challenged with doing this burden of communicable and non-communicable disease. Mr. President, in July this year, Solomon Island reported through our second voluntary report that we are off track against the SDG, as well as the objectives of our national development strategy. This undercuts the importance of our decision yesterday on the path of the future. Mr. President, partnership and collaboration are indispensable to our development. However, we also recognize that we need meaningful partnership. Mr. President, climate change remains a dividing issue for Solomon Island and the Pacific region. It is an external crisis that is already impacting us. Our ecosystem and ocean economy are at risk from climate change. Weather extremes driven by climate change are already causing fatality and impacting our infrastructure, economic development, and indigenous culture. Mr. President, for those of us at the front line of climate change and sea level rise, it is frustrating to experience that climate finance is still being mobilized in modality with conditions that are not matched with the climate change emergency we are confronting. We recognize that the future of our world will be increasingly saved by technology and digital transformation. The Global Digital Pact offers the opportunity to bridge digital gaps and ensure that no one is left behind in the digital age. Mr. President, my country’s access to affordable digital technology is still limited. Despite recent efforts, including the expansion of our telecommunication network and the use of digital technology for financial inclusion, Solomon Islands launched its first-ever national cyber policy last month, a positive step for digital technology governance. We cannot ignore the urgent need for a peaceful and secure world. We are deeply committed to global peace, rule-based multilateralism, and principles of the United Nations Charter. However, the UN system must be reformed to reflect and respond effectively to the realities we face on the ground. Global cooperation and diplomacy are pathways to a peaceful resolution of conflict. Mr. President, as we talk about the future, we must remember that it belongs to our youth and future generations to come. Over 60 percent of Solomon Island’s population is under the age of 30. Our huge people are full of potential, but they face immense challenges, including impact of climate change. We are invigorating efforts to empower youth through human development and economic transformation. In conclusion, Mr. President, let us move forward with a sense of shared responsibility, ambition, and commitment to the path of the future. Let us choose future of prosperity for all, and resilience and peace. I thank you all.
Chair: I thank the Minister for National Planning and Development, Coordination of the Solomon Islands. I now give the floor to His Excellency Elmer Schialer Salcedo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Peru.
Elmer Schialer Salcedo: Mr. President, I bring the respectful greetings of the President of Peru, Dina Boluate Segar, who would have liked to be in this great assembly with us today. Mr. President, we stand at a time of profound global transformation, and we are living through times marked by unprecedented challenges which call on us to work together to forge a fairer and more sustainable future for all. What we need is clear to all of us, that is, new global governance which is more inclusive and equitable. In light of this, Peru has been working hard to reduce social divides and to include sectors of the population that have historically been left behind. This objective is to ensure that all of us are working together to achieve It includes higher ambitions in our national and collective action, as well as financial commitments that are sustainable on the part of the international community, that enable appropriate resources for developing countries. An important outcome from this summit is the commitment to begin an intergovernmental process for the adoption of multidimensional indicators, poverty indicators and progress indicators that go beyond measuring the progress made by countries and their consequent needs in cooperation and finance, beyond the cold figures of their GNI. Therefore I welcome the establishment of a high-level group which will be working on developing these new indicators. We trust that this work will be essential to best channel, in the most inclusive way, international cooperation, including middle-income countries, in which we continue to see pockets of poverty and exclusion. We also welcome the fact that during this summit of the future we are addressing emerging challenges for future generations, such as digitalization and artificial intelligence. Peru believes that it is crucial to build a global governance system that promotes the transfer of knowledge and technology and establishes parameters for the correct use of artificial intelligence. President, Peru understands the Pact for the Future as a tool that must respect the sovereignty of states and that further must promote cooperation based on solidarity, mutual respect. and equity. For us, this pact is not and will never be an imposition nor an agenda which erodes our traditions or our domestic legal order. Rather, we see it as a platform that allows us to work together with other nations to address the challenges that we share, such as combating poverty, protecting the environment and ensuring a fairer and more equitable global economic order for developing countries. In essence, it is an appeal to build a future in which sustainable development, peace and prosperity are accessible to all, without implying giving up our identity, values or our autonomy as a nation. Thank you very much, President.
Chair: I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Peru. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and State and Foreign Affairs of Portugal, His Excellency Paulo Rangel.
Paulo Rangel: Excellencies, it is with hope and responsibility that I assume the word in this summit of the future in representation of Portugal as well as of the first Prime Minister of Portugal that cannot be here today due to the terrible fires that have made our country in a tragedy for the last few days. We are here for the future of the world, for the future of our nations. These completely uncontrollable fires are connected to the climate changes, to the sustainable development, to the planning of cities. This city shows well the reason why the Secretary General of the United Nations, when he presented our common agenda and launched an ambitious process to reconstruct and rebuild the trust in a multilateral efficient system focused and centered on the United Nations. Aligned with this ambitious and broad initiative of a more efficient multilateralism, Portugal participated effectively and actively on the negotiations for the Pact for the Future, the Global Pact for the Future, Digital Global Pact, in a clear expression of our determination in promoting peace, sustainable development, and respect for human rights. Peace and international security start with the guarantee that each person in each corner of the world has the opportunity to have a life with dignity in a sustainable planet and a prosperous planet. The commitment of Portugal with this multilateral agenda is not something new. In peace, security, education, health, dignified employment, we also have been committed to seek collective solutions for all. We will maintain this ambition for the next year’s summit, Global Summit, to increase the partnerships that increase the resilience of the global challenges, investing in preventing and prospective capacity, to supporting the good governance of the world, the digital world, the external space promoting innovation, and the responsible… use of science and the digital transformation. Portugal is a country deeply connected to the sea, and we recognize the vital role of the oceans in the global economy and in the fight against the climate change, because we support effervescently a sustainable management that aims at the next ocean conference side by side with our partners, in particular with small island states in development, the SIDS. We are committed to reforming the global governance, including the international financial architecture. We are still committed towards this goal as an invited country by the G20 Brazilian presidency, which call to action. We subscribe, and we have the fourth international conference about development, which preparatory process is co-presided by Portugal and Burundi. Ladies and gentlemen, in the beginning of the summit, we celebrate the International Day of Peace. And it was precisely to maintain and promote peace and security that we created the United Nations. It is also one of these goals for the future to which we commit, including towards our candidacy to the Security Council for 2027-2028. We live in a world of geopolitical crisis that affect the confidence of the citizens in multilateralism, not forgetting the ones who live in Gaza, Sudan, the conflicts of Sahel, inequality, gender violence, and in the terrible impacts of climate change. What’s happening in the Pacific Islands and Caribbean islands, the forest fires also in Portugal and so. many other parts of the world. The challenges that we face today do not know borders and deserve a pact for the future. It is now up to each country, each leader, each one of us, to choose the path for the future. Portugal chooses the collective action path, and collective action, multilateralism, peace dialogue, and wavering commitment to a future for all. Thank you.
Chair: President Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Federal Minister for Defense of Pakistan
Khawaja Muhammad Asif: Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim Mr. President, let me state at the outset that no sustainable development can take place until tragedies like Gaza are perpetuated by the developed world. Mr. President, the adoption of the Pact of the Future is an expression of our collective determination to respond to the global challenges of security and development that threaten the present and future generations. For the over 100 developing countries, the Pact offers an opportunity to revitalize development and to reform our society. unequal international financial economic system. The pact will be transformative only if we translate the commitments undertaken into concrete actions. To bridge the $4 trillion SDG financing gap, we must fulfill the longstanding ODA commitments, and the Secretary General’s SDG stimulus proposal, rechannel 50% of the unused 2021 allocation of SDRs, deliver a bigger, better, and more ambitious IDA by ensuring a robust $100 billion replenishment in December this year, enlarge lending by the multilateral development banks, and lower borrowing costs of developing countries, improve the representation of developing countries in international financial institutions, review the sovereign debt architecture to make it more equitable, adopt an equitable international tax regime, and reform the WTO to serve as a vehicle for export expansion and development through preferential treatment for developing countries and avoidance of new environmental protectionism. The UN, by virtue of its universal membership and mandate, remains an indispensable platform to propel and monitor implementation of these commitments. Excellencies, bridging the digital divide is key for an equitable future. future. Pakistan welcomes the outcome of global digital compact in this regard. We must bridge the north-south divide and prevent an east-west fragmentation of the digital space. We must ensure equitable data governance, and we must capture and control the power of artificial intelligence. Thank you very much.
Chair: I thank the Federal Minister for Defence of Pakistan. I now give the floor to His Excellency Bakari Badjie, Minister of Youth and Sport of Gambia.
Bakari Badjie: Mr. President, distinguished delegates and participants, The Government of the Gambia expresses sincere gratitude to the United Nations Secretary-General for convening this significant summit, which aims to foster sustainable multilateral solutions to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and beyond. We also extend deep appreciation to the co-facilitators from Namibia and Germany for their tireless efforts in facilitating the negotiation process, an invaluable contribution to the preparation and execution of this summit. The summit of the future demonstrates our collective will to strengthen multilateralism as it presents a significant opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to addressing shared global challenges as we engage in discussions on enhancing multilateralism and transforming global governance in the coming days. Let us accelerate our commitment to reinforcing our sacred multilateral principles of upholding human rights. â sustaining peace and driving sustainable development. Solidarity and respect for human dignity must underpin our collective action and commitments at all levels, be it regional or global. These are, and should remain, the bedrock of our efforts. The theme, Multilateral Solution for a Better Tomorrow, is both timely and relevant. It is particularly relevant at the critical moment when the world, especially the Global South, is grappling with persistent existential challenges, including escalating regional tension and instability such as the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, Palestine, and the Sahel region, after increased displacement of people, particularly women and children, thereby further depressing the economies of the developing countries. Mr. President, as a developing country, The Gambia is deeply concerned about the disproportionate impact of global challenges on small countries, especially the negative socio-economic dimension of the COVID-19 and the recovery efforts, increasing climate vulnerabilities, food insecurity, poverty, and emerging health threats, which continue to exacerbate existing inequalities, pushing millions further into poverty. Majority within this poverty bracket are women, who continue to face considerable barriers to education, economic resources, and deeply entrenched gender norms, hindering their participation in the workforce and decision-making process. These challenges have stalled progress on the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda, with the deadline looming and many targets unmet. We urgently need bold actions, comprehensive solutions, and significant resources to tackle these pressing global issues. Youths continue to face structural shortage of decent employment opportunities compounded by global economic uncertainty, making it challenging for government to tap into their potential. In our collective response to these complex challenges, the need for multilateral cooperation with a holistic approach built on dialogue, common understanding, solidarity, and shared responsibility are essential for safeguarding global stability and ensuring that the SDGs are achievable within this decade. In this regard, the Government of The Gambia, with the support of the United Nations, organized a two-day national youth consultation to prepare a position paper and select young delegates to attend the summit. During these consultations, young people from all over the country demanded and asked for our government to champion for the restructuring of the international financial system to better address their needs. They advocate for increased access to climate funding, the development of technical skills for climate innovation, and robust measures. The young people have also asked that they become participants in the decision-making at the political level as well as at the international level. Mr. President, The Gambia fully welcomes the adoption of the Park of the Future, recognizing it as a commitment to actionable solutions that place the further generation at the core of our concern. We reaffirm our commitment to strengthen international cooperation to ensure that the goals of this summit are realized and built upon for a better future. I thank you, Excellency, and thank you all.
Chair: I thank the Minister of Youth and Sport of The Gambia. I now give the floor to Her Excellency Adriana Mira, Vice President of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador.
Adriana Mira: Thank you very much, Mr. President, honorable heads of delegations, friends. El Salvador acknowledges enthusiastically the importance of this summit for the future, which is a milestone in the history of our international community. The instruments that we have negotiated to arrive at this summit represent a great opportunity to promote greater international cooperation and revitalize multilateralism that will lead to future discussions that will allow us to go beyond agreements towards true mechanisms and sectoral actions to support the development of all. We hope that the entire world will welcome the outcome of this summit with hope, especially at a time when developing countries require access to greater financing and resources to confront global challenges to which we face. This meeting also is an opportunity to increase trust and solidarity among countries. The current multilateral system will continue to regress if we allow the objectives and the power of the few to prevail over the rules established for the benefit of all. El Salvador is not alone. Many of the countries of the Global South are raising their voices with greater force and are offering their visions of development based on their own reality. During the negotiations of the Pact for the Future, El Salvador reiterated the urgent need to reform the Security Council so that it is transformed into a more representative, democratic, legitimate, effective, and transparent organ, an organ that allows for the participation of more countries, which today are underrepresented in this forum, in which important decisions are taken for the maintenance of international peace and security. Present generations are increasingly concerned by the problems that affect their daily lives and make it more difficult to think about the future. This discussion compels us to ask whether the actions that we are taking are necessary to build a future that our people truly need. I am proud to say that the government of El Salvador, under the vision of President Nayib Bukele, has restored hope as it has become the safest country in the Western Hemisphere. For Salvador, security was the premise that was necessary to restore our faith in our future. And while we are not neglecting to sustain that achievement, now we can prioritize actions that address economic growth, investment, and participation in international trade. The international environment forces us to invest and design policies geared towards technological technology, adaptation to climate change, and the transition towards green energy, aware of the potential of technological innovation. El Salvador has taken important steps to transform the country in the technological hub of the region by implementing policies of digital governance and enacting legal instruments to better take advantage of technologies and investment flows. My country is laying the groundwork to achieve the goal of a digital future that is inclusive, open, just, and secure. We have a commitment to eliminating the digital divide by increasing levels of connectivity and access to the internet. Our partnership with Google and the inauguration of the first commercial data center rated Tier 3 in El Salvador is a reflection of the commitment of the government to the appropriate use of technological innovation. The seeds that we are sowing today through these instruments promise a better future for all, and especially for young people and future generations. During the event called Imagining the Future, Jobs youth and opportunities promoted by the United Nations system and organized in my country, we reached the conclusion that it is fundamental to heed the voice of young people and generate opportunities for dialogue that allow us to connect with their perspectives so that within our respective agendas we can take concrete action for our young people. We trust that through the coordinated efforts of the United Nations country team and other strategic partners for development, we will continue investing in our youth. In conclusion, I would like to express the commitment of El Salvador to advance in implementing the outcomes of this summit with the hope that together we will achieve the goals that together we identified today for a better future. Thank you very much.
Chair: I thank the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the International Criminal Police Organization.
INTERPOL: Mr. President, it is my great honor to address the General Assembly at this esteemed gathering of the United Nations Summit of the Future. This summit represents a moment of reflection and a moment of action as we reaffirm our commitment to building a resilient, equitable, and safer world. In an era marked by profound changes, from rapid technological advancements to environmental crisis, global security and sustainable development are inherently linked. Singapore recognizes the crucial role that law enforcement plays in ensuring the security and the prosperity of communities around the world. By securing the streets, police strengthen the foundations for development. By protecting communities, police empower them to reach further. This is why Interpol launched the Global Policing Goals back in 2017. These offer a blueprint for law enforcement to advance Agenda 2030 in complementarity to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Later this year, the UN General Assembly will also seek to adopt the fourth review of its resolution on the cooperation between Interpol and the UN. Through previous reviews, the international community reinforced this complementarity and affirmed Interpol’s position as a key implementing partner. In achieving the objectives of the SDGs, we must also recognize that no country and no organization can act on its own. Criminal networks are being built around the world. Ties are being created. Actions coordinated. To counter them, we need to be more innovative and more agile. As Interpol Secretary General, it is my conviction that a safer future hinges on a single, strong global architecture of security. One that avoids silos and duplication. One that ensures inclusivity of information, of networks, and of access to technology. And one that prevents gaps and loss of critical information. Interpol stands ready to continue building this with Member States, regional, and global partners. Excellency, this summit calls on us to build opportunities for tomorrow’s generations. Founded on multilateralism and a strong, integrated security system. To fulfill this mission, we must restore and maintain trust in the institutions designed to protect peace, security, and prosperity. This means evolving our approaches to address emerging challenges responsibly, ethically, and with integrity in making the world a safer place. I thank you very much.
Chair: I thank the distinguished representative of the International Criminal Police Organization. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
International Institute for Democracy & Electoral Assistance: Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, Excellencies, I stand before you as Secretary General of International IDEA to speak on the future of our planet and the pact we need to make it viable. For me, the future has faces. I have two children, Annalena and Simon, ages 15 and 12. The pact we have forged here is about the world we will bequeath them. I want them to live in a world where women are not second-class citizens anywhere, where they don’t have to wait on current trends, 46 years to achieve equal representation in parliaments, and many more to sit as equal partners in boardrooms. If this pact does not advance this human right, which is the best opportunity for our future, we are wasting our time. I want them to live in a world that no longer accepts that 81 people own as much wealth as 50 percent of humanity combined. If this pact does not open the door to a the mental reform of capitalism to make it fairer so that our political processes and the possibility of a sustainable future are not captured by the obscenely rich, we are wasting our time. I want them to live in a world where nations are truly able to collaborate to solve the great problems of our time. If this pact does not help us to bring international governance structures closer to the realities of power in the world, starting with the UN Security Council, we are wasting our time. I want them to live in a world that cherishes democracy as one of the pinnacles of the human journey. And I use the word democracy deliberately. Not governance, not institutions, not all the euphemisms that many governments use to disguise simple truths. That democracy is the only political system that fully respects the UN Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and Social and Economic Rights, which nearly every country present here has signed up to. That democracy is the best defense against the emergence of the killing fields in Ukraine and the Middle East, in Sudan and Myanmar, and hence protects global peace. If this pact does not advance democracy, we are wasting our time. Mr. President, the British writer Aldous Huxley once asked if the world was another planet’s hell. I do not know. What I do know is that we have the obligation not to turn it into hell for Annalena and Simon’s generation. This pact may be our best chance.
Chair: to the distinguished representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization: Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the Summit of the Future is a call to build more just, prosperous, and peaceful societies. To meet this challenge of sustainable development, UNESCO’s mandate is focused on education, science, and culture, and it is essential. This was just recalled by the compact Pact for the Future that has just been adopted. First, there can be no viable future where more than 250 million people are still deprived of the fundamental right of education. As the Pact for the Future reaffirms, we must carry out in-depth reforms in line with the work already carried out by UNESCO to achieve universal access to education, in particular for girls. Strengthening teacher training and access to digital learning technology is also essential. UNESCO is convinced that, sustainably, reducing inequalities also requires innovation and knowledge, and yet we are all aware of the gap that remains in the world in this sense. That is why it is essential that the Pact for the Future enshrines the need to promote international scientific cooperation in line with UNESCO’s recommendations on open science. Thus, we will promote the transfer of technologies and making sure that all talents can flourish and that risks are managed responsibly. And finally, culture. In all of its diverse expressions, it is our global common good that is one of the most powerful. The preservation of world heritage is a… vibrant example of this. These World Heritage Sites not only testify to the richness of human history and the beauty of nature, but preserving them is also essential for local populations that are exposed to the risks of climate change, illicit trafficking, and pressure of tourism. Our organization also stands by creators and all culture professionals who, through their talents and imaginations, bring us together and create millions of jobs, which is a powerful driver for inclusion for youth and women in particular. Article 11 of the Pact for the Future recognizes this crucial role played by culture in our societies, a role of bringing people together, of ensuring well-being, which must play its rightful role in public policies. This is a major step forward today. Together, but we can go even further by ensuring that culture is finally subject to its own goal of the post-2030 development agenda, which has yet to be built. Only culture can open up peoples to one another while nourishing the best among us all. Thank you very much.
Chair: I thank the distinguished representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization and give the floor to the distinguished representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
International Atomic Energy Agency: Thank you very much, Mr. President. Mr. President, somebody said that to predict the future we should build it, and this is what is happening now with the adoption of the Pact of the Future and the recommitment to the goals that it entails. The IAEA, an institution born from an idea pronounced from this same rostrum of 70 years ago, is doing just that, together with you. It is doing that by underpinning the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons regime, which prevents thousands of nuclear material, which is used all over the world to be diverted for hostile uses. It is doing so by preventing that more states add nuclear weapons to those that already exist. It is doing so by preventing, by deploying in a war zone that a nuclear accident with terrible radiological consequences adds to the misery of our ongoing war. But importantly, it is also doing that through its programs like Race of Hope, which is bringing oncology and nuclear medicine to places that do not have a single radiotherapy unit. It is doing so in places where food is scarce through the Atoms for Food project. It is doing that by protecting the environment through its nuclear techniques against plastic pollution and protecting the oceans from ocean acidification and other problems like this. It is doing that in all these ways. The world and the pact that you just adopted, importantly, needs instruments, concrete instruments to materialize those goals, including in energy, which through clean nuclear energy is allowing more and more states reach economic development without harming the environment. The IAEA is just that. It’s an instrument. of all the lofty goals and ideas that have been adopted here. And the IAEA will continue doing just that. Thank you very much.
Chair: I thank the distinguished representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency and give the floor to the Joint UN Program on HIV-AIDS.
Joint UN Program on HIV-AIDS: Your Excellency, President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, we gather at a time when global crises threaten to overwhelm us. But we need not despair. I come to you with a proven path, a path through which the world can overcome all challenges. Over 25 years ago, governments came together with civil society, with the private sector, with the philanthropists, here at the United Nations, to fight a disease, HIV-AIDS. They set up institutions such as the United Nations Joint Program on HIV-AIDS. That is a program I lead. They set up a fund, the Global Fund. They set targets and they worked together, collaborated, to fight a disease. Today, almost 30… 21 million people living with HIV around the world are on treatment and living healthy lives. The AIDS response defines the path to success, a path of multilateralism. Key elements of this success are, first, shared responsibility and global solidarity. No single country or entity can ever solve global problems. Second, ensuring that the benefits of scientific innovation are shared by all countries. Third, putting human rights at the heart of all plans, ensuring that the vulnerable, marginalized people are reached first, and that there is no stigma and discrimination fighting that. Fourth, sharing financial resources. Today, we face the challenge that the most vulnerable countries to HIV AIDS with the highest burden are being choked by debt. The issue of restructuring debt is critical today. Resources should be shared. Lastly, the example of the HIV response, the coming together of countries, should inspire us to reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism. We have done it before. In 25 years, we fought this disease.
Chair: the Red Cross.
The International Comittee of the Red Cross: Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, yesterday, leaders of the world adopted the Pact for the Future. The ICRC is with you when you say in that pact that fellow human beings are enduring terrible suffering. We are also with you when you warn us of rising catastrophic and existential risks, many caused by the choices we make. However, you are also right when you say that there is a path to a brighter future for all of humanity. That your formula for this brighter future includes international cooperation, based on respect for international law, resonates loudly with the International Committee of the Red Cross. This year, we mark the 75th anniversary of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which regulate how wars are to be fought. Every state in this General Assembly has committed to respect and to ensure respect for these rules both in word and in deed. We are with you in Pact Action No. 14. We will protect all civilians in armed conflict. International humanitarian law requires that fighting parties only attack military targets, take all precautions to minimize harm to civilians, and then actually do so. We encourage all states here today to use their influence to speak to warring parties directly to make sure that this happens. Last year, hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed or suffered appalling injuries, many as victims of deliberate or indiscriminate attacks. We can and must do better. We are also with you in action number 15. We will ensure people affected by humanitarian emergencies receive the support they need. The rules for humanitarian assistance are set out in IHL. Parties to armed conflict must allow and facilitate passage of humanitarian relief. However, we are faced with a compelling reality. Millions of people in war zones are left out of basic humanitarian support due to a lack of humanitarian presence. Destruction of basic infrastructure could be avoided if attacks were restrained and based on proportionality and distinction. The reality of today is that the compounding effects of destruction, disinvestment and abandonment are leading to unbearable costs for generations to come. We can and must do better. The path to a brighter future for humanity is available to us, you have said. In war, that path is lit by the Geneva Conventions. At the ICRC, we offer our hand to you along this path and we ask, let’s walk it together. Thank you, Mr. President.
Chair: I thank the Distinguished Representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross and give the floor to the League of Arab States.
League of Arab States: Thank you, Mr. President. We are writing the future today. Every decision that we adopt, the path that we’re taking, will have an impact on future generations. This summit must deliver a strong message that is that future generations deserve to live in a world free of conflict, from hunger, absolute poverty, and extreme threats. These are interdependent challenges. Their intersection means that multilateralism and joint international action is essential. Indeed, urgent action is needed to counter global warming, climate change, the gaps between the rich and the developing world, especially in terms of climate financing and sharing of the benefits of climate adaptation in a fair way, the debt crisis and the challenges of new technologies, especially artificial intelligence. All these challenges can only be addressed through multilateralism and by a global organization. In spite of all these challenges, I am convinced that the essential duty of this universal organization is maintaining international peace and security. The other objectives will be difficult to achieve in a world of conflict and fear. We must acknowledge that sources of tension have expanded, efforts at solutions have stagnated. Competition among major powers does not benefit a universal organization. This competition throws us back to a period of paralysis. Everyone now is convinced that the Security Council, in its current configuration, no longer reflects. The world does not serve multilateralism in an effective way, where action can be taken on conflicts. Another example, if you look at the conflict in Gaza, the aggression of Israel. against Gaza has continued for many months. There have been massacres, killings, destruction, hunger and displacement without the Security Council being able to adopt any resolutions. At last, a resolution was adopted, but unfortunately, the Security Council could not implement it. Today, it’s the turn of Lebanon, the international community and the international organization must work to save the situation otherwise, to restore it. Otherwise, the conflict will expand and it will endanger peace and security. Thank you.
Chair: I thank the distinguished representative of the League of Arab States, and I’ll give the floor to the distinguished representative of the United Nations Human Settlements Program.
Un Habitat: Excellencies, I’m honored to address you in this plenary of the Summit of the Future on behalf of UNHCR and the new urban agenda that UNHCR is mandated to lead. The new urban agenda is a shared vision of the United Nations for a better and more sustainable future. As we commence on planning for the implementation of the Pact for the Future, UNHCR encourages the member states to recall that it is in our cities and towns where two-thirds of the people in the world are projected to leave by 2050. This shift towards urbanization is driven by various factors, including economic opportunities, better access to services, and increasingly by involuntary displacement, disasters, and conflicts. Combined with the overall growth of the world’s population, this could add another half a billion million people to cities every five years. Against this projection, UNHCR stands ready to support member states in the commitment of the Pact for the Future to ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and support developing countries to plan and implement just, safe, healthy, accessible, resilient and sustainable cities, as well as commitments in support of access to sustainable essential services in cities and the integration of disaster risk reduction into policies and programs. Well-planned urban infrastructure, housing and services can transform the lives of people in cities towards more sustainable and resilient. Sustainable urban development, steered by inclusive, resourced local and regional authorities and with participation of the young people in cities, will also provide the foundation for long-term stability, security and peace building of societies by leaving no one and no place behind. In well-planned cities, climate and disaster risks can also be effectively managed, assisted by digital technologies. To achieve this, UNHCR and the UN members of the Local 2030 Coalition encourage the member states to also seek for means to more closely engage with local and regional governments, as recommended by the Pact for the Future, to increase the opportunity to transition to sustainable development paths by 2030. Thank you.
Chair: I thank the distinguished representative of UN-Habitat and give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean: Mr. President, the General Assembly, your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the Summit for the Future gives us a unique opportunity to show to the world that it is possible to restore trust in the multilateral system and demonstrate that international and regional cooperation can respond to the huge challenges that we confront and also serve to build a more peaceful, just, productive, inclusive and sustainable future through collective action. The process that led us to the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration for Future Generations has given us important lessons. Beyond the agreements that we reached, the most important added value of these lessons is that it is essential to think about the future, because topics that will be important for the future are already important. It’s important for policies of countries to be fully aware of what kind of future they are building. Unfortunately, as societies, we tend to live in the short term. This is a trend that was aggravated by social gaps, and this replaces analytical thinking. Thinking of the future requires forums to examine this, to analyze it. The Pact for the Future is a major step in the right direction to restore a multilateral system that was designed over 60 years ago and which, as the Secretary General mentioned, requires urgent reforms such as international financial architecture, which is not a commensurate to the challenges of development of today. Topics of peace, security, science, technology, innovation, and digital cooperation, youth and intergenerational solidarity and gender equality are fundamental topics for the world and for Latin America and the Caribbean. With this in mind, one of the priorities of our organization is to contribute to strengthening anticipatory â proactive governance in countries of the region. We are creating parliamentary commissions for the future in our region in order to discuss not only what should be the solutions but how to achieve them. We are discussing prospective policies as well as the possibilities for social dialogue to manage essential transformations. The world and Latin America need and would benefit from a world in peace, from a multilateral system that is strong, a global commercial system regulated by rules focusing on sustainable development to achieve SDGs and make progress on climate change. In the next session of our organization in Peru in October, we will have an opportunity to discuss the implementation of the commitments of the Summit for the Future in Latin America and the Caribbean. Thank you.
Chair: I now invite the representative of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and give the floor to the representative of the Interparliamentary Union.
Interparliamentary Union: Mr. President, the pact for the future that is the outcome of this summit does provide a clear path forward to turbo-change the SDGs and to fix a multilateral system that is nearly broken. As President of the Interparliamentary Union, I am here to tell you that you can count on our organization, with a membership of 180 national parliaments, as a trusted partner in the journey ahead. No challenge is too big for those who are determined and willing to work together. IPU welcomes the strong acknowledgement of the role of Parliaments at the United Nations provided in Action 55 of the Pact. This action line stresses the need to deepen the relationship between the United Nations and Parliaments, and welcomes the contribution of Parliaments through the IPU in supporting the implementation of United Nations Agreements. We will have an opportunity to get into the fine details of this relationship during this 79th session of the General Assembly under the item Interaction between the United Nations, National Parliaments and the IPU. We look forward to working with Member States to find more concrete ways to engage Parliaments in the work of the United Nations so that they are more aware of the discussions taking place here, and more capacitated to provide input through their governments as well as the IPU. In the quarter century since the Millennium Declaration, the relationship between the United Nations and Parliaments has grown steadily, year after year, never losing sight of its final aim, which is to make the United Nations more open, more accountable, and more able to deliver on its commitment. We are committed to strengthening that relationship. Today, most major United Nations meetings take place with at least some parliamentary components. As it was once said by the founding father of Tanzania, Mwalem Julius Kambarage Nyerere, it can be done. Play your part. We at the IPU are doing our part to make the United Nations and multilateralism stronger through Parliaments. We all need to scale up and be ready to seize the opportunity for improvement whenever it arises. People everywhere expect change. This is the time, this is the place to make that happen. I thank you.
Chair: I thank the Distinguished Representative of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
International Fund for Agricultural Development: Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, IFAD, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, welcomes and supports the outcome of the Summit of the Future. And today I want to reconfirm our commitment to ensure leaving no one behind. In just seven decades, from the creation of the United Nations to 2020, we witnessed a remarkable progress. The prevalence of hunger dropped from two-thirds of the world’s population to less than one in ten. But for some years now, progress has stalled. Unless we take urgent and drastic action, as many as 600 million people will remain chronically undernourished by 2030. Let us recall the simple commitment at the heart of the 2030 Agenda. We will leave no one behind. This also includes the 3.4 billion people living in rural areas. Most rural people in the world depend on small farms for their livelihood. Half of our food comes from these small farms. Yet, hunger and poverty remain concentrated in the rural areas. Rural communities are the stewards of our land and of our water. In our fight against hunger, poverty and climate change, they must also be part of our first line of action. scale up the investments in these rural areas where poverty is concentrated. And we need more than just the financing. We need investments that are targeted and that are effective. We need especially to reach the people and the countries that are most in need. Today, less than one-third of development finance for food systems reaches the least developed countries. Equally concerning, less than one percent of climate finance reaches the small farm holders who are at the forefront of our fight against climate change. Looking ahead to next year’s International Conference on Financing for Development, we need targeted investments that respond to individual countries’ realities and that drive long-term sustainable impact. This will require an increase in concessional resources, especially for the poorest and most indebted countries, as well as catalyzing private sector investments. IFAD is the only United Nations specialized agency, an international financial institution, with a clear mandate to invest in rural people. And we stand ready to play our part. Thank you very much.
Chair: I thank the distinguished representative of the International Fund for Agricultural Development. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.
International Organisation of la Francophonie: Mr. President, Excellencies, I have the honor to speak on behalf of Her Excellency Madame Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of la Francophonie, and to convey her warmest congratulations on the holding of the Summit of the Future and the adoption of the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations. With its 88 member states and governments, l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie National de la Francophonie has appreciated the inclusivity of this process. We have had the opportunity to prevent our organization’s vision and contributions through our Secretary General, the group of Francophone ambassadors, and our experts. La Francophonie is constantly working for a reinvigorated multilateralism. To achieve this, it has urged the international community to reestablish the values to which our movement is so deeply attached â solidarity, equity, and full respect for diversity. That is the purpose of the advocacy that we have undertaken to ensure due consideration for cultural and linguistic diversity in the Global Digital Compact, which is the first instrument of global scope to enshrine the principles that will govern the digital space of tomorrow. That is also the thrust of our call for a reform of access to concessional financing for development that would take into account all dimensions of vulnerability â economic, social, and environmental. Driven by our duty of solidarity, we must now pursue our advocacy with international financial institutions. The next steps will be essential to make development opportunities both more equal and more sustainable. That is also the goal of the contribution that we have presented on the issues of peace and security in the context of the new Agenda for Peace. La Francophonie in the area of peacekeeping advocates for giving due consideration to multilingualism and intercultural skills, which are drivers of effectiveness in the implementation of the complex mandates of peacekeeping operations. Finally, La Francophonie welcomes the consensus that was reached on the need to honor, preserve, and promote cultural and linguistic diversity to benefit future generations. We are also pleased that the Pact for the Future provides for actions aimed at protecting and promoting culture as an integral component of sustainable development. On October 4th and 5th, La Francophonie will hold its 19th Annual Conference. Summit of Heads of State and Government in France at Villers-Cotterêts and in Paris on the topic of creation, innovation, and entrepreneurship in French. It will focus on the common efforts that we must undertake in order to achieve a renewed multilateralism. Our vast Francophone community will ensure that the outcomes of this Summit of the Future bear fruit. By drawing from our common language, French, a lever for sincere listening and dialogue which we so need, we will continue to play our full role in the development of a culture of peace. Merci.
Chair: I thank the Distinguished Representative of l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. And I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.
Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf: Mr. President, I convey my greetings and would like to begin by highlighting the importance of the Summit of the Future, which brings us here today, as well as the urgent need for such a summit at this time. We are facing an opportunity to reaffirm common principles and strengthen international cooperation to address current challenges through effective multilateral action for peace, especially given that global challenges are having an impact on sustainable development at the global level. With this in mind, I would like to share briefly the GCC’s position on the Pact for the Future. International indicators point to a slowdown in the implementation of the SDGs. More than 30 percent of them have not made progress. progress, the Gulf Cooperation Council has prioritized sustainable development through the national visions of its member states, which reflect a commitment towards the 2030 Agenda Sustainable for Development and the Paris Agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Plan. Today, GCC member states are convinced of the importance of partnerships in the context of development, and the Council plays an important role in more than 90 countries across the world. I am proud as a citizen of the Gulf of the role that Gulf states play in the implementation of SDGs in a number of countries across the world. The Council reaffirms the importance of the principles of strengthening peace as reflected in the Pact for the Future, with a focus on international law, resolving disputes through peaceful means, and seeking a solution to the issue of Palestine that is in line with the Arab Peace Initiative and international law. We must also strengthen the international order to benefit future generations. As Antonio Guterres has said, we cannot build our future based on a system built for our grandparents. We must therefore pool efforts in order to ensure that needs of future generations are met in all areas. The GCC stands ready to make its contribution to this effort. I also reaffirm the vision that we share and which is in line with the pact for the future. Thank you.
Chair: I thank the Distinguished Representative of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, and I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the United Nations Population Fund.
United Nations Population Fund: Mr. President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, I greet you in peace so desperately needed in our turbulent world. The United Nations Population Fund stands with you to forge a path to a better, more sustainable future of peace and prosperity for all. Demographic shifts, population growth, aging, migration are reshaping our world and our future. In an ever-changing world of 8 billion, our focus must be on people. This means ensuring that population dynamics are factored into development plans with an emphasis on right choices, dignity, and equality. It means investing in human capital, in health, education, and the empowerment of women and young people. We know this yields significant returns with ripple effect across generations. Our commitment to individual dignity, right, and choices is the foundation for a resilient and sustainable future. Our 1.9 billion young people have the power to transform our world. Let’s invest in their potential and support their leadership. They have a fundamental right to participate in sustainable development, humanitarian action, and sustaining peace. By leveraging science, data, statistics, combined with strategic foresight, we can ensure that we are thinking about the present and preparing for the future. Let’s embrace and shape the technology. technology that is transforming our world and our work. As we work to bridge the digital divide, our task is to ensure technology fosters empowerment and gender equality, rather than perpetuating violence. Excellencies, three decades on from the groundbreaking International Conference on Population Development in Cairo, and as the end of our ICPD 30 review process draws near, UNFPA remains laser-focused on sustainable human development. This requires rallying new allies, new partners, harnessing innovation, exploring new forms of financing, and embracing the power of technology to advance rights and choices for her and for everyone, in line with the objective of this summit. We congratulate Member States for their consensus on the Pact of the Future, the Declaration of Future Generations, and the Global Digital Compact. This important outcome offers some solution, yet we know much more remains to be done to translate commitment into action. By focusing our effort and strengthening our partnership and investment, we can overcome our common challenges and build a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future for all. I thank you for your kind attention.
Chair: I thank the Distinguished Representative of the United Nations Population Fund and give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the Digital Cooperation Organization.
Digital Cooperation Organization: Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to express my gratitude to Secretary General, His Excellency, António Guterres, and the co-facilitators for their efforts in bringing us to this pivotal moment. It is a privilege to address this Assembly following the historic adoption of the PAC for the Future and also the Global Digital Compact. The GDC lays out a roadmap for an inclusive, sustainable, and a secure digital future for all. However, the real challenge lies in translating these ambitious goals into actions as we strive to achieve the SDGs. The digital divide is multi-faceted, impacting the AI divide, computing divide, gender digital divide, and skills divide. The AI and computing divide create barriers as some nations rapidly innovate while others struggle to keep up. The gender digital divide limits women access to technology, and the skills divide leaves many without essential digital competencies. If we do not address these interconnected challenges, we risk leaving entire communities behind. Today, I represent the Digital Cooperation Organization, an organization dedicated to accelerating the inclusive growth of the digital economy. Our 16 member states across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East represent over 800 million people, 10% of the global population, with 75% under the age of 30. We’re committed to empowering our member states to transition from consumers to producers and innovators in the digital age. As a connector and facilitator and advisor, we ensure that everyone is equipped with the tools to succeed in the digital age. It is here, at the Summit of the Future, that we launch the Digital Economy Navigator, an innovative tool providing insights on digital… digital economy performance across 50 countries. This initiative is just one of the ways where we are turning the GDC and principles into action. But while DEN is a vital resource, it is only the beginning. We just started. We must foster collective efforts to the GDC’s ambitious goals, objectives, and commitments. I call upon every country, every individual, every organization to foster this digital navigator and to join forces in this critical endeavor. Let us create a future where everyone, everywhere can thrive.
Chair: I thank the Distinguished Representative of the Digital Cooperation Organization and give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture.
Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture: Mr. President, Secretary General, Your Excellencies, the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture would like to express its gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the Summit of the Future as an observer organization to the General Assembly. We’re very honored to offer our vision on the situation and challenges in education, science, and culture in the Ibero-American region. At a time, at a crucial moment, we have been active and developed our vision over the past 75 years. We are the oldest Ibero-American system with the greatest presence and activity in the region. Ibero-America is not what it used to be. after the crisis in 2018 and then the pandemic, which obviously requires a profound digital transformation. Progress in fulfillment of SDGs are only 22 percent of the targets, compared to 15 percent at the global level. Obviously, various short-term urgent situations have led to delays. Now it’s important for us to be more effective and efficient in education, science, and culture. That is our commitment to make public policies possible, to make sure that public policies reach a citizenship. Ibero-America has reached significant goals, for example, almost universal coverage in primary and secondary education, significant increase in higher education. But the quality of education and other public services are still insufficient. We need to obviously mobilize resources, financial ones, and as an example, we can consider that compared to countries of the OECD, they spend three times more in education, and in culture it only represents 1 percent of GDP. So we not only have to spend more, but to be more effective and efficient. This is why we need to take advantage of a unique opportunity represented by the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. There are many challenges, including in basic education, in vocational education, higher education, defending human rights and democracy, as well as science and culture. The future requires us to pull our efforts. This is why we’re We will focus particular attention on the digital transformation and artificial intelligence both in Spanish and in Portuguese. Soon we will offer to the governments of the region a strategic program
Chair: I thank the distinguished representative of the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture, and give the floor to the distinguished representative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
International Union for Conservation of Nature: Your Excellencies, the world is changing. There is an urgent need to respond to global crises of the loss of biodiversity and climate change that lead us to poverty and insecurity. Science has demonstrated that we are rapidly exceeding planetary limits that allow for conditions of life that are sufficient for the human species, the increase in the consumption of resources, persistent inequalities in the acceleration of climate change are subjecting the planet to an unprecedented pressure. Humans have already extinguished the life of many species, and we have led to the verge of extinction one-fourth of the remaining species. If we want to ensure the future of our planet, we must trigger a transformative change for nature and for people. This â we’re talking about the survival of the human species and of our home, planet Earth. A ray of hope comes from the recent successes in multilateral action for nature and climate. The Kunming, Montreal â framework, Global Framework for Biodiversity, and the Treaty for the High Seas are significant achievements that demonstrate the international community and the multilateral system function, and that we can achieve radical change that we need. It is essential to implement these and other key agreements. We must situate nature at the heart of global social and economic systems, change the relationship between people and nature in a way that nature offers solutions to people, and so that people enjoy the benefits offered by nature in an equitable and effective way. We have to transition towards a circular global economy that takes into account the true costs of ecosystemic services that are necessary for the production of goods and services. We must implement policies aimed at achieving a future free from fossil fuels, and one that is positive for nature. This must be based on inclusive decision-making processes that are participatory and that include in a meaningful way young people, indigenous people, and local communities taking into consideration gender aspects, and that are backed by scientific tools and data. The IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, welcomes a pact for the future as a renewed commitment to multilateralism by the member states, although we regret the fact that the compact has not achieved the transformative change that is necessary for nature and for the climate. The IUCN is committed to supporting the implementation of the compact, and beyond this compact
Chair: I thank the Distinguished Representative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East: Mr. Chair, excellencies, we have gathered here to shape our collective future. We do so amid seismic geopolitical shifts that are fiercely testing the international institutions and instruments we have relied on for three quarters of a century. We have an opportunity to reaffirm the values and principles that have served us well, and to pursue meaningful reform where needed. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, UNRWA, confronts daily the challenges this summit seeks to address. For 75 years, UNRWA has provided human development services for generations of Palestinian refugees in the occupied Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. Millions of children have been educated in our schools, which equip them with the values, knowledge, and skill they need to thrive. Our education program has reached gender parity and teaches the value of human rights and tolerance. UNRWA’s education outcomes are among the best in the region and at the lowest cost per student. Our health program provides primary health care to millions, achieving universal vaccination in Palestinian refugees’ communities. Today, however, our decades-long investment in the future of Palestinian refugees is at risk. Excellencies, the blatant disregard for international humanitarian law in Gaza should alarm us all. The scale of human suffering is immense, and our ability to respond is severely constrained. 222 UNRWA staff have been killed. Two-thirds of our buildings have been damaged and destroyed, killing hundreds of people seeking United Nations protection. Legislative efforts are underway to evict UNRWA from East Jerusalem, remove its privileges and immunities, and designate it as a terrorist organization. Failing to push back against violation of international law and failing to push back against efforts to intimidate and undermine the United Nations sets a dangerous precedent. It will compromise the future of humanitarian work and erode the rule of law. Excellencies, the international response to the war in Gaza, escalating violence in the West Bank, and the spillover of conflict into Lebanon and across the region is highly concerning. International law is implemented selectively or not at all, reinforcing perception of inequality and injustice. Dehumanization is rampant in public discourse.
Chair: I thank the Distinguished Representative of UNRWA and give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the United Nations University.
United Nations University: Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, we find ourselves at a critical moment in history, an intensifying climate crisis, growing inequality, endemic violence, and the emergence of new technologies are entrenching old divisions and creating new fault lines that threaten the cohesion of societies. The summit of the future is an opportunity to collectively address these challenges and deliver on the vision. we established here almost 10 years ago for the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals. The summit and the pact for the future is a defining moment for current and future generations. Decades from now, I hope that our children will look back and acknowledge the summit as a momentous occasion, and that they will agree that we have been good ancestors who laid the foundations of a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. The Secretary General has argued that we can’t build a future for our grandchildren with a system that was built for our grandparents. Our future will be defined by the collective commitments we make today to transition away from fossil fuels, strengthen the governance of new technologies, build peace, and reform the international financial architecture. Science and research will be a critical facilitator of this shift, informing the development of policies and solutions, and ensuring they will have real impact. The United Nations University, through its collaborative research and education, is a source of impartial knowledge, evidence, and policy solutions. We have been committed to the development of the pact for the future, and we are committed to its successful implementation. We offer you a bridge to the scientific community. We offer you a neutral space to test ideas and build new correlations around bold policy solutions. We offer you our expertise and our networks in service of a reinvigorated multilateralism. Today, as we seek a new consensus to accelerate the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and secure a prosperous, resilient, and peaceful planet for current and future generations, it is imperative that we acknowledge and make strategic use of science and scientific institutions. I thank you.
Chair: I thank the distinguished representative of the United Nations University and give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization. Chairperson, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization: The future is a big place. Where will we live in it? The good areas or the bad areas? That’s up to us. But one thing for sure is that if there is a return to nuclear weapon testing, our shared future will not be bright. There were 900 nuclear weapon tests between Hiroshima in 1945 and the signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1968. But even then, the nuclear tests kept going, an average of one a week for over 25 years. In the future, what if we return back to a renewed nuclear armed race? Or there’s a catastrophic miscalculation? Or we’re just unlucky? A pact for the future is a shared vision for a better present and a safer future. In the safer future, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is vital. The CTBT is smart. Our International Monitoring System network of sensors is a scientific wonder, so sensitive. The CTBT is transparent. States know that we’ll detect any test and fast. We’ll know where it has happened. And the CTBT has worked. Under the CTBT, there’s been only a handful of nuclear tests. tests this century. Remarkably, all this when the treaty is not yet entered into force. These are worrying times, even dangerous times, with reports of enhanced activities at former nuclear test sites, of threats of the use of nuclear weapons. Or we’re creating a bright future. We cannot do that if we’re heading into nuclear war. A big step towards achieving this is ending nuclear testing once and for all. The future is a big place with big issues to consider. That’s what this summit has been all about. Climate, migration, preserving the environment, the future of multilateralism. Major change usually requires major investment, but stopping nuclear tests costs so little. All it takes is our collective will and then the action of a few. There is no exaggeration. The CTBT is a great shared achievement. If this summit moves all the nations of the world towards making bold…
Chair: I thank the Distinguished Representative of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization, and I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the International Trade Center.
International Trade Center: Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, we’re here today because we’re facing some sobering realities, some tough odds. When the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted, it was a moment hailed globally as the dawn of a new era for international cooperation, one that would finally lead to a better, fairer… world. But as we’ve learned in the years since, achieving transformation on this scale is no mean feat, and it becomes even harder when crises seem to darken every horizon. Now, too often, it is easy to fall prey to pessimism, to see the world before us with so much human suffering and loss of life, with an ever-warming climate and mounting conflicts, and fear that things may never get better. But when I think of the small business leaders and the member states that we serve at the International Trade Center, it’s clear that we don’t have to look very far to see what a new world could and should look like. These small business leaders don’t have the luxury of saying that it’s too hard, and they already live and breathe the values that the SDGs were designed to uphold. These small business leaders are women who are running firms that tackle challenges ranging from food security to health care. They’re refugees who are finding new ways to support their families through digital tools while sharing their expertise with the world. They are young people who are teaching us how to safeguard our natural environment while creating new jobs along the way. They’ve inspired me to come before you today and make this request, that when we leave Turtle Bay and begin putting this Pact for the Future into motion, that we ensure that the world’s small businesses are front and center in every decision that we take. We cannot afford to do anything less. On behalf of the International Trade Center, we welcome the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations. We’re already acting on many of the commitments laid out in these documents, from supporting more small businesses to take full part in the digital economy, to championing youth entrepreneurship, to supporting the vision of UN 2.0. It’s why we… brought young innovators to New York this week to celebrate their solutions for saving our planet at the Youth Entrepreneur Awards. It’s why we’re showcasing some of the work underway under ITC’s digital moonshot, our big strategic push to ensure all small businesses can take full part in the digital economy. And it’s why I can promise you this, that we at ITC will never shy away from doing the hard work of making sure this Pact for the Future delivers for those who need it most. Thank you very much.
Chair: I thank the Distinguished Representative of the International Trade Center, and I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
UN Women: Excellencies, good evening. As you convene here for the Summit of the Future, we join you in applauding the world’s commitment to reinvigorated and more networked multilateralism. We see a commitment to advancing gender equality and the rights of women and girls across the Pact for the Future and its annexes. And yet, the Summit comes at a time when the crisis of women’s rights preoccupies us, when we are all seized of the need to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda, and when the evidence has never been more clear or compelling for SDG 5 as the accelerant to the entire 2030 Agenda. Our latest data unpacks concerning ways in which we remain off track. Without change, without acceleration, it will take 137 years to eradicate extreme poverty for women. women and girls, 68 years to eradicate child marriage, 39 years for gender parity in parliaments. Excellencies, next year we will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Conference and its Platform for Action. It remains the most widely endorsed and visionary agenda for women’s rights in history. The best way to commemorate this and to deliver promises of the Pact for the Future is to implement real change in the lives of women and girls and critically to deliver on peace. Time to silence the guns everywhere. That is why UN Women is putting forward a plan for Beijing Plus 30 that is closely aligned to the ambition of the Pact for the Future. First we will work with member states and other stakeholders to advance high-impact, high-return-on-investment priority actions at country level that will accelerate Agenda 2030. Second, we will work to ensure more resources for the crucial role of civil society across all gender equality issues. Finally, we are echoing your call for a stronger multilateral system as a force for real change in the lives of all women and girls. We must and can make the choice to collectively leverage this moment and galvanize the will, commitment, and resources needed to get back on track. UN Women looks forward to joining you all in this endeavor. Thank you.
Chair: I thank the Distinguished Representative of UN Women and give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund.
United Nations Children’s Fund: Excellencies, I have four messages to convey. First, at this summit, I know we feel a sense of tremendous accomplishment, but its success will depend on the practical implementation of what we have decided and how these decisions are applied to domestic policies, budgets, and programs to secure a better future. Second, together we have accomplished extraordinary achievements over the last few decades for our youngest citizens, our children. We know that millions of children today are surviving and thriving, having had improved access to health, nutrition, education, protection, and participation. And we also know that millions of children across the globe are facing a confluence of intractable crises, from armed conflicts through climate change to persistent poverty and inequality. Third, we must accept that children will influence and shape the future, and it is imperative that children’s rights, including their right to be heard in matters that affect them, is placed at the center of our collective development efforts. Thirty-five years ago, we also made this commitment to our future when we adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most ratified international human rights treaty in history. We further cemented this promise in MDGs and then the SDGs, but sadly we are off track to meet the SDGs, particularly those related to child rights. There is hope that comes with opportunity of accelerating to meet the SDGs and setting the present and future generations on a trajectory for success. This is a choice we have the power to make. Government and public financing are key to accelerating social investments in children. Just this morning at UNICEF House, we shared a comprehensive set of proven solutions to unlock benefits for child well-being across sectors. We can and must take these proven solutions to scale and achieve the much-needed impact for children that we have committed ourselves to across the 19 child-related SDG indicators. Our efforts have very real consequences for children around the world and our future. As you return home and your daily lives, please take with you the conviction that we can and we must work together so that every child everywhere today and tomorrow will survive, thrive.
Chair: I thank the Distinguished Representative of the United Nations Children Fund and now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the Economic Cooperation Organization.
Economic Cooperation Organization: Mr. President, the global pact that we forged 80 years ago through the adoption of the UN Charter and its principles gave almost uninterrupted peace and prosperity to our successive generations for decades. That compact is clearly under stress today. Luckily, this summit gave us a unique opportunity to reflect on the past and chart our future. start a new course for a better future. The choices are clear. We can either have a breakthrough or a breakdown. By successfully negotiating and adopting the Pact for the Future, we have not only highlighted the significant challenges facing humanity, but also made commitments to effectively deal with these challenges. Through this summit, we are also reaffirming the UN Charter, committing to reinvigorating multilateralism, boosting implementation of our commitments, and restoring trust among member states. We are happy to see that the summit has also prioritized technology through the Digital Compact. In an era where our ability to reach common ground to tackle pressing challenges is getting constrained, cooperative regionalism is the way forward as a building block for an inclusive and more effective multilateralism. UN is and must remain at the center of all our efforts in pursuing stronger cooperation and reinvigorated multilateralism. However, the work should start at the regional level to build a strong foundation for lasting international peace and security. Therefore, strengthening regionalism would serve the purpose of enhanced multilateralism where our hopes and aspirations for a better tomorrow are rekindled. Aligned with the Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030, we at ECO crafted the Vision 2025, which aims to boost trade, enhance connectivity, secure transition towards green energy, and promote sustainable economic growth and the welfare of our people. The ECO is also in the process of finalizing its post-2025 strategy, where we would incorporate the outcomes of this. summit. The ECO is committed to enhancing regional collaboration and positioning itself as an active player on the global stage. We firmly believe that better connected and more integrated regions capable of working together to address their peace, security, and development-related challenges only make the reinvigorated multilateralism easier to achieve. It is, therefore, time to prioritize regionalism. We cannot build a solid foundation for multilateralism without strengthening.
Chair: I thank the distinguished representative of the Economic Cooperation Organization, and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Universal Postal Union.
Universal Postal Union: Excellencies, on behalf of the United Nations Interagency Group on Aging, I am honored as a representative of the Universal Postal Union, a member of the group, to deliver this statement. The postal sector, represented by the Universal Postal Union as a specialized agency of the United Nations, plays a vital role in the development of universal postal services that meet the needs of all citizens. With its extensive network of 700,000 post offices and a growing digital and social infrastructure, the postal system reaches even the most remote communities, providing essential services to billions of people worldwide. As we convene at this summit, often referred to as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape our collective future, it is imperative that we adopt a people-centered, right-based, life-course approach, one that fully includes all generations, including older persons. Demographic changes are not a distant challenge. They are already transforming our world and will define the future. Population aging is a global phenomenon that is accelerating. This demographic shift where people are living longer and increasingly healthier lives is a human success story, not a crisis. It is a testament to advances in health, living conditions, and technology. However, whether this transformation unfolds as an opportunity or a challenge depends on the policy choices we make today. The dominant narrative often frames population aging and increased longevity as inevitable burdens on national economies, health, and social care. This perspective is both limiting and inaccurate. The outcomes will depend on how we craft our policies and whether we seize the opportunity to invest in inclusive, age-responsive systems that benefit everyone. In reviewing the pact of the future, the group recognizes its bold and ambitious vision for a sustainable and equitable future. Nevertheless, we are disheartened to see only one mention of older persons compared to 30 references to youth. This stark imbalance ignores both the needs and contributions of today’s older populations and the fact that today’s youth are tomorrow’s older generations. Furthermore, we note with concern that the global digital compact, while rightly recognizing groups experiencing vulnerabilities, fails to specially mention older persons. This omission is particularly troubling given that older persons are among the groups most affected by the digital divide. They must not be left behind. Members of the United Nations Interagency Group on Aging stand ready to support member states in this endeavor, and we look forward to continuing our work in partnerships with all stakeholders. I thank you.
Chair: Thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of the Universal Postal Union. Colleagues. That was the last speaker on the list for the summit of the future. I understand you’re all very relieved to go home, which I have full sympathy for. It’s been a long day. But nevertheless, there is still one really important segment coming up, and that is the closing segment for the summit. And we will therefore suspend the meeting now until 8 o’clock. It’s just 10 minutes or so. So please bear with us. And then the PGA will return for the closing segment of the future â summit of the future. This meeting is now suspended until the closing summit is held at 8 p.m. The meeting is suspended. The Sixth Plenary Meeting is resumed. Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations, ladies and gentlemen, At the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in 2020, member states issued a call to action. Guided by the United Nations Charter, it was a call to better respond to current and future challenges, to reinvigorate multilateralism, and to strengthen international cooperation towards those ends. Today, the Summit of the Future and its outcome document, the Pact of the Future, has answered this call. The Pact for the Future, together with its annex crisis, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations adopted yesterday set us on a stronger course of transformation. Together they outlined commitments to accelerate progress across the Sustainable Development Goals and usher in a future that is more peaceful, just, and resilient. I congratulate Member States for working with focus and solidarity over the last two years to meet this historic milestone on the road to a more effective and inclusive international cooperation. Our work does not end here. In fact, it begins anew. The summit of the future is a major step in our continuum of efforts to deliver faster and smarter on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, amongst others. And it must propel our collective ability to deliver well in the future, including at the third United Nations Conference on Land-Locked Developing Countries in December, the fourth Financing for Development Conference in July 2025, and the second World Summit for Social Development in November 2025. Throughout, stakeholder support and ownership of implementation will be critical to sustaining action at national and regional levels. It is my sincere hope. I hope that the views and ideas exchanged during the summit will inspire further initiatives in your respective countries and regions, as well as here at the United Nations. As we close the Summit of the Future, I urge all member states to continue to push for decisive action and to create meaningful progress. We must never lose sight of the lives already lost under the weight of poverty, hunger, and want. We also must never lose sight of those still suffering amid the torrents of conflict, violence, and deprivation. And finally, we must never lose sight of those future generations to whom we owe our best efforts to create a world that uplifts and empowers all of humanity, leaving no one behind. I thank you. I declare closed the Summit of the Future. The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of Agenda Item 123. The meeting is adjourned.
