Intergenerational Fairness Day

A worldwide day of action has been proclaimed by an international network of non-partisan organisations that exist to protect the rights of younger and future generations.

In early 2023, the FRFG proposed the idea of creating an international day of action for intergenerational justice. The objective was to raise awareness for future generations and create an official UN holiday. The UN has already established various similar days, like World Children's Day, Human Rights Day, International Women's Day, World Water Day, etc. However, there was still a gap that needed to be filled, and that was a day dedicated to intergenerational justice.

16 November 2023 saw organisations from Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Nigeria, Australia, and the UN Foundation come together to call for greater intergenerational fairness so that the interests of younger and future generations are better protected both nationally and internationally.

Background

Accelerating global warming, escalating (nuclear) arms races, the loss of biodiversity, unaligned artificial intelligence, and human-made pandemics are just some of the new risks experienced by today's youth and future generations. These risks are still neglected by governments globally.
Within existing public policy, rapidly growing national debts, the cost-of-living crisis, high housing costs, and eroding pensions are some of the policy areas where young people are losing out.
In a nutshell, in too many areas of life, society is acting at the expense of young people and future generations. A joint and intensive effort to secure the existence of humanity beyond the next decades is required.
The organisers argue that many of these problems are not just national, but global. While the specific context may differ from country to country, the general trend is that governments worldwide focus on solving short-term problems with little regard to long-term sustainability, whether it be the use of natural resources, government spending or investment in the futures of younger and unborn generations.
Intergenerational Fairness Day wants to encourage people to think about this essential topic and to draw attention to its importance. Government decision-makers must be reminded of their responsibility towards future generations and work together to create a future that is fair and sustainable for all generations.

It's the first Intergenerational Fairness Day!

16 November 2023

We are excited to announce that today is the first worldwide Intergenerational Fairness Day and exciting things are coming your way! Go to your favourite podcasting platform and listen to the first episode of the Intergenerational Fairness Day Podcast – Introducing Intergenerational Fairness: A Global Movement. As well as the podcast, the organisations have also collaborated on a worldwide blog week, which the Intergenerational Foundation has coordinated and will host in the week following 16 November on their website. There are around 15 articles to look out for, which will be shared over the course of the week, including an article by the FRFG, on the topic of intergenerational fairness.

Read the full report

All the IFD links you need

Countdown to the second Intergenerational Fairness Day!

16 November 2024 will be the second Intergenerational Fairness Day. Keep an eye out for updates, activities and events that we have planned!

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The IFD Timeline

05.01.2023First Meeting of the new IFD Network
The FRFG reaches out to various organisations with the idea of creating an International Day of Action for Intergenerational Fairness. The objective is to raise awareness for future generations and create an official UN holiday.
16.11.20231st Intergenerational Fairness Day
The IFD Network celebrates the first Intergenerational Fairness Day with various activities and projects. The first episode of the Intergenerational Fairness Day Podcast is published, the collaborative blog week is uploaded, a social media campaign is in full force and many national initiatives are underway.
22.-23.09.2024UN Summit of the Future
The first UN Summit of the Future will take place on 22 and 23 September 2024. The summit is a high-level event where leaders from around the world come together to forge a new international consensus for a better future. On the one hand, the summit aims to accelerate efforts to meet our existing international commitments, such as the Sustainable Development Goals. On the other hand, it is about taking concrete steps to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities.
16.11.20242nd Intergenerational Fairness Day
16 November 2024 will see the second Intergenerational Fairness Day. We are currently working on activities and initiatives, both global and national, for our community. More updates will follow.

What is the Summit of the Future?

On 22 and 23 September 2024, the first UN Summit of the Future will take place. The summit is a high-level event where leaders from around the world come together to forge a new international consensus for a better future. On the one hand, the summit aims to accelerate efforts to meet our existing international commitments, such as the Sustainable Development Goals. On the other hand, it is about taking concrete steps to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities.

The proposal for a Summit of the Future originated in the "Our Common Agenda Report", a response by the UN Secretary-General to a call from Member States for ideas on how better to respond to current and future challenges. The report called for a renewal of trust and solidarity at all levels – between peoples, countries, and generations. It advocated for a fundamental overhaul of our political, economic, and social systems to make them more just and effective for all generations. The report also recommended a corresponding renewal of the multilateral system, with the Summit of the Future seen as a crucial moment to agree on the necessary improvements through a Pact for the Future. The overarching purpose of the summit and the pact is to reaffirm the UN Charter, strengthen multilateralism, promote the implementation of existing commitments, agree on solutions to new challenges, and restore trust.

The Summit of the Future represents a unique opportunity to restore eroded trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively address current challenges. However, we believe a one-time summit will not be enough to implement long-term decision-making effectively. We need a clear commitment to intergenerational fairness and need to come together regularly to reassess progress and policies and consistently propose changes. Germany is one of the co-facilitators of the summit. Therefore, we have approached the Permanent Representation of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations in New York. We urge joint advocacy for an annual "Intergenerational Fairness Day" as an official UN day to think about future generations and reaffirm our commitments to them. The UN has already proclaimed various similar days (e.g., World Children's Day, Human Rights Day, International Women's Day, World Water Day, etc.). An "Intergenerational Fairness Day" is a gap that needs to be filled in light of the Summit of the Future.