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.