The UNs Summit of the Future – Global Issues
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Preparations are underway for the upcoming Conference on the Future, which may be UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ most important initiative to date.
This gathering, which will be seen as a serious attempt to address some of the most complex and enduring problems of our time, can help cement the Secretary General’s legacy as a rational architect of a stronger and more integrated international system.
To be held on 22-23 September, the conference will truly provide a forum for the international community to discuss ways to strengthen and improve global governance.
https://www.un.org/en/summit-of-the-future
Building on the proposals of Our Common Agenda, the comprehensive plan presented by Guterres in 2021, the gathering will see member countries trying to reach an agreement on how to improve some of the important pillars of multilateralism, fit for purpose.
The list of proposals is deep and comprehensive, covering many policy areas, namely Sustainable Development and Development Financing; International Peace and Security; Science, Technology and Innovation and Digital Cooperation; Youth and Future Generations; Transforming World Governance.
Each of these areas contains proposals, from restructuring the way the international financial system works, including securing resources for the achievement of the SDGs to enabling strong global governance focused on strong conflict prevention mechanisms.
They are now under intense negotiations and the final decisions will be contained in the Pact for the Future which will be approved during the Conference. However, while the aims and major objectives of the Conference are admirable, we must ask ourselves if the proposals being discussed are truly transformative.
Furthermore, linked to the above, is the international community sufficiently engaged and invested in the negotiations? What about the overall level of inclusion and participation of the general public?
Certainly, civil society organizations all over the world, from the South and the North, have been proposing various ideas, which if implemented, represent a major change.
While there is no doubt that Guterres is really trying to achieve something he wants, at the same time none of the proposals to be discussed at the Future Summit represent real game changers.
Instead they should be seen for what they are: important steps, potentially incremental steps towards more radical and important changes that the international community is unfortunately still resisting.
For example, the New Agenda For Peace, which is part of this package, should be considered as an entry point to start a discussion about how to defuse future conflicts by developing “whole community protection” strategies, doing a better job of protecting civilians in times of conflict.
But again in this case, the Treaty is more like a list of principles, such as a commitment, one of many, to “advance urgent discussions on autonomous lethal weapons systems” than actual proposals.
It also focuses on strengthening conflict management mechanisms and improving trust, something that cannot be undermined. However, it is difficult to imagine how we can advance consensus in this contentious area at a time when political tensions and rivalries are on the rise.
But there is one important area Guterres deserves credit for: putting youth first and foremost in his agenda. What is noteworthy is the attempt to rethink and re-launch the entire decision-making process by involving and involving the youth.
But, at the same time, and in this case, it is difficult to imagine any real changes beyond the semi-tokenistic proposals of Guterres such as strengthening the UN organizations’ current ways of working with the youth. The Declaration on Future Generations, a kind of youth rights charter, is undoubtedly symbolic and important but it is far from bold and truly revolutionary and lacks enforcement.
Instead, what is being said by the international civil society, thanks to the credit of Guterres, who has been fully involved and participated in the discussions of the Conference on the Future, is not only suggestive but also what the country needs the most.
Indeed the People’s Pact for the Future, brought together by a broad coalition of civil society organizations, the Coalition for the UN We Need, is rich in bold ideas. It is interesting to read about establishing not only the UN Parliamentary Assembly but also other smart solutions such as creating ways to involve citizens in UN-related decision-making, including the UN World Citizens’ Initiative.
In comparison, the proposals being discussed by member states in the Pact for the Future are very timid and, by no means, as flexible and rigid as they should be. But for me the most problematic aspect is not the inevitable lack of ambition of Guterres’ project.
After all, it was inevitable that many details in realizing his vision, could be prevented and limited by the difficulties of international relations. Another thing that is disappointing is that any global meeting that is so important for the future of humanity, should have been more active in involving the citizens of the world.
The truth, instead, is sad: despite good intentions and a real effort to involve the public, there is widespread ignorance about this whole program among people. In plain words, among the public, there is absolutely no knowledge and information about the Conference and its agenda.
Most of the youth who should be leading the discussions, did not participate as they should have. Most of them are still ignoring the Future Conference and the discussions related to it. I have no doubt that, all over the world, UN Country Offices may have tried to negotiate and consult with their counterparts in other negotiations.
But the magnitude of the initiative and the topics to be discussed, no matter how, at the end of the day, how to deal with weak and flawed proposals, should have deserved the strong participation of young people.
The United Nations, in collaboration with civil society organizations in the South and North of the world, should have planned and done a very strong job in terms of consultation and communication with young people.
Imagine how revolutionary it would be to organize a consultation at the school level where students could discuss their most important issues and come up with their own solutions. With the right political will and preparation, such an exercise could represent a new benchmark in terms of new ways of consulting and communicating with young people.
The hope is that the efforts being made to organize the Summit for the Future and the energy used to negotiate the Pact for the Future, at least will open a new chapter not only for the persecuted nations to deal with complex problems but by doing so through. a completely novel way to the top.
Indeed, the Summit of the Future may be remembered not for what will have been achieved. Instead, the entire program that began with Our Common Agenda, can be remembered as heralding an era in which difficult issues are tackled differently and more inclusively.
Involving and engaging those, currently, excluded from decision-making, the people and among them, especially the youth, should be a moral imperative to overcome the major challenges facing humanity.
This is what must be remembered for the large and far-reaching agenda pursued by Guterres.
Simone Galimberti he writes about the SDGs, youth-focused policy-making and a stronger and better United Nations.
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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
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