The SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE was convened at the United Nations headquarters in New York from 20-23 September 2024 with hope and inspiration for humanity. As stated in the Opening Address by United Nations Secretary-General, His Excellency António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres:
“I called for this Summit because 21st century challenges require 21st century solutions: frameworks that are networked and inclusive; and that draw on the expertise of all of humanity.”
World leaders have adopted a Pact for the Future with two annexes, framed by aspirations and goals of our globally-interconnected civilization regarding:
- Sustainable development and financing for development
- International peace and security
- Science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation
- Youth and future generations
- Transforming global governance
Annex 1 is the Global Digital Compact, involving:
Objective 1. Close all digital divides and accelerate progress across the Sustainable Development Goals
Objective 2. Expand inclusion in and benefits from the digital economy for all
Objective 3. Foster an inclusive, open, safe and secure digital space that respects, protects and promotes human rights
Objective 4. Advance responsible, equitable and interoperable data governance approaches
Objective 5. Enhance international governance of artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity
Annex 2 is the Declaration on Future Generations:
“…Recognizing that the decisions, actions and inactions of present generations have an intergenerational multiplier effect, and therefore resolving to ensure that present generations act with responsibility towards safeguarding the needs and interests of future generations,
Acknowledging that we must learn from our past achievements and failures, and their consequences, in order to ensure a more sustainable, just and equitable world for present and future generations, and understanding the interconnectedness of past, present and future,…”
The International Science Council (ISC) was among the contributing organizations, notably in dialogue about Building Bridges Through Science Diplomacy: Accelerating Progress Towards Sustainable Development during the opening day on 20 September 2024. With inclusion, the ISC Fellows contributed observations from around the world about the SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE:
The Pact for the Future with its Global Digital Compact (Annex 1) and Declaration on Future Generations (Annex 2) introduce a framework for ongoing global dialogue with inclusion (who, what, when, where, why and how), centered on knowledge discovery with research across the natural sciences, social sciences and Indigenous knowledge for the benefit “of all humanity.”
