Summit Of The Future

Summit of the Future

As Civil Society, learn out how to take part in this unique opportunity!

All information here! English – العربية – 中文 – Français – Русский – Español

WHAT IS IT?

Following the 75^th Anniversary of the United Nations in June 2020, the Secretary-General was requested to address both current and future challenges. He responded through his report Our Common Agenda, with the aim of accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. This report requests for a Summit of the Future, to be held in September 2024, to come up with an action-oriented “Pact for the Future”, signed by States from all around the world to commit to a new vision to address emerging challenges, included those posed by new technologies.

Download the child-friendly presentation by #CovidUnder19 here!

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

The Summit of the Future will be a milestone moment for the UN system and important decisions will be taken. All the tracks proposed by the Secretary-General are relevant to children and therefore any decision will have a direct or indirect impact on children’s rights and the future generations. Indeed, the ultimate goal of the Secretary General to achieve a “renewed social contract anchored in a comprehensive approach to human rights” cannot be achieved without the inclusion of children and their fundamental rights to participate into the relevant discussions and decision-making.

WHAT WILL BE THE OUTCOME AND SCOPE?

An action-oriented outcome document called the Pact for the Future will be negotiated, and endorsed by countries in the lead-up to and during the Summit. The Pact will build on the 2023 SDG Summit and will consist in:

A Chapeau; and 5 chapters:
Chapter I. Sustainable development and financing for development;
Chapter II. International peace and security;
Chapter III. Science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation;
Chapter IV. Youth and future generations;
Chapter V. Transforming global governance;

What do we want to achieve as a child rights movement?

→ Child rights mainstreaming through the UN tracks

All the tracks proposed by the Secretary General are relevant to children. Child Rights Connect and its members are engaging through multiple high-level tracks to ensure a holistic approach to children’s rights into the discussions and that their fundamental rights to participate into the relevant discussions and decision-making is respected. This is essential to achieve the SG’s ultimate goal of a “renewed social contract anchored in a comprehensive approach to human rights” through Our Common Agenda.

→ Meaningful child participation

Given that children amount to over a third of the world’s population, all decisions taken before and during the SoF will be the foundation of their present and future, having a long-lasting impact. Children should be both subjects of the Summit and the resulting Pact for the Future, and active participants before, during and after the Summit. We call on States to ensure this.

How can you engage concretely?

Secretary-General Policy Briefs: Watch out for opportunities to inform these briefs.

Intergovernmental negotiations: You can contribute to the intergovernmental negotiations on the different tracks. Check out the roadmap from the co-facilitators to know what are the upcoming meetings.

Human Rights 75 initiative: to mark the 75 anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Office has launched a year-long initiative that will culminate in a high-level event in December 2023 that will announce global pledges and ideas for a new vision for the future of human rights. This new vision will be key to inform the Summit of the Future and it’s outcomes. Find all the information on how to engage here

Global Futures Forum: Civil Society Representatives organized a first forum in March 2023 that came up with a “People’s Pact for the Future” to feed diverse civil society ideas and insights into official discussions on the Pact for the Future. A second Global Future Forum will be organized in 2024, in which civil society will be able to contribute!

WHAT ARE THE MAIN TRACKS?

The Secretary-General has outlined different tracks to be considered by States in preparation for the Summit of the Future, as ultimately, States will decide the outcome of the Summit. The Secretary-General is developing Policy Briefs to inform the discussions on the different tracks:

Future Generations
Emergency Platform
Youth Engagement
Global Digital Compact (see dedicated website here )
Beyond Gross Domestic Product
New Agenda for Peace
Information integrity
International financial architecture
Outer space
Transforming Education
United Nations 2.0

HOW HAVE CHILDREN ENGAGED SO FAR?

Questions for further reflexion

What structures / mechanisms exist for youth participation in your country?
What are their links with national child participation structures?
How can we collaborate with them/ Youth network to encourage child participation in policy-making and decision-making processes?
What can be our activities/ works bilaterally at global and national level to encourage child participation?

The children’s vision for human rights results from a consultative process with children around the world. The report reflects children’s views on the future of human rights.

Read the Children’s Vision for Human Rights!

Timeframe

22-23 September 2024

Summit of the Future & an action-oriented Pact for the Future agreed by Member States

May 2024

UN Civil Society Conference on the 9th and 10th May 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya

Early 2024

Zero Draft Pact for the Future, published on the 26th January 2024

Newly updated United Nations Summit of the Future website

21 September 2023

Preparatory Ministerial Meeting for the Summit of the Future

18-19 September 2023

SDG Summit

February-September 2023

Two Member States, Germany and Namibia, are co-facilitating the Intergovernmental consultations for the preparations for the Summit of the Future. See the roadmap!