KATHMANDU, Nepal, Aug 5 2024 (IPS) – Preparations are ongoing for the upcoming Summit of the Future, probably the most consequential initiative of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres so far.
The gathering, to be seen as a serious attempt at fixing some of the most intricate and enduring issues of our times, could help cement the Secretary General’s legacy as an idealistic architect of a stronger and more cohesive multilateral system.
To be held September 22-23, the summit will indeed provide a platform for the international community to discuss ways to strengthen and enhance global governance.
https://www.un.org/en/summit-of-the-future
Building on the proposals of Our Common Agenda, the comprehensive blueprint that Guterres presented in 2021, the gathering will see member states trying to broker an agreement on how to enhance some of the key pillars of multilateralism, fitter for the purpose.
The list of propositions is in-depth and exhaustive, covering several policy areas, namely Sustainable Development and Financing for Development; International Peace and Security; Science, Technology and Innovation and Digital Cooperation; Youth and Future Generations; Transforming Global Governance.
Each of these domains contains proposals, from restructuring the way multilateral financing system operates, including ensuring resources for the realization of the SDGs to enabling a stronger global governance centered on stronger mechanisms to prevent conflicts.
They are now under intense negotiations and the final decisions will be contained in the Pact for the Future that is to be approved during the Summit. Yet while the aims and overarching goals of the Summit are nothing but praiseworthy, we should wonder if the proposals being discussed are truly transformational.
Moreover, linked to the above, is the international community engaged and invested enough in the discussions? What about the overall level of involvement and participation of the general public?
