Member States continue deliberations on the Pact for the Future – the main outcome of the Summit of the Future (SoF), taking place from 22-23 September in New York, US. Negotiations also continue on a global digital compact and a declaration on future generations that, if agreed, will be annexed to the Pact.
By a letter dated 27 August 2024, the co-facilitators of the intergovernmental preparatory process of the Summit of the Future (SoF) placed a revised draft (REV3) of the Pact for the Future under the silence procedure until 3 September. In a virtual briefing for civil society on the Summit of the Future and the Action Days, organized by the Office of the President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General on 5 September, it was announced that silence was broken on the Pact for the Future, meaning that the outcome document is still under negotiation.
In preparation for the Summit, the UN launched a new microsite outlining the key elements of the intergovernmentally negotiated, action-oriented Pact for the Future. The Pact includes chapters on:
- Sustainable development and financing for development (FfD);
- International peace and security;
- Science, technology, and innovation (STI) and digital cooperation;
- Youth and future generations; and
- Transforming global governance.
REV3 of the Declaration on Future Generations underwent the silence procedure in August. In a message issued on 16 August, the co-facilitators advised Member States that silence was broken by several delegations on 20 paragraphs of the draft declaration. Efforts continued to maintain a concise, action-oriented, ambitious, and balanced text.
In a letter dated 9 September, the co-facilitators circulated the final revised text of the declaration, acknowledging that consensus could not be achieved on several paragraphs. It is the co-facilitators’ belief that, “with the constructive engagement and collaborative spirit of Member States and Observers, [they] have laid a strong foundation for an ambitious, concise and action-oriented document that will chart the way forward to effectively safeguard the needs and interests of future generations.”
In his letter of 9 September, President of the 78th session of the UNGA Dennis Francis notes that since the outcome of ongoing negotiations on the Pact for the Future could have implications for the language in several paragraphs of the draft Declaration on Future Generations, he will transmit the final revised text to the President-elect of the UNGA’s 79th session Philemon Yang for finalization ahead of the Summit of the Future.
REV3 of the Global Digital Compact was placed under the silence procedure in July. The talks continue after several delegations broke silence.
Negotiations for the Pact for the Future are co-facilitated by Germany and Namibia. Sweden and Zambia are co-facilitating the talks on the Global Digital Compact. Jamaica and the Netherlands are the co-facilitators of the intergovernmental process for the Declaration on Future Generations.
The UN Secretary-General’s 11 policy briefs that further develop proposals initially outlined in the ‘Our Common Agenda’ report help inform the intergovernmental negotiations.
The UN75 initiative kicked off the Summit of the Future process in 2021. The Summit is expected “to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future.” It has been cast as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity… to mend eroded trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively achieve agreed goals and tackle emerging threats and opportunities.”
Immediately prior to the Summit, the Summit of the Future Action Days “will focus on multistakeholder partnerships and action paving a way towards the next chapter of multilateralism that is more inclusive and networked.”