The 2024 UN Summit of the Future: what is it and why does it matter?
A delegation of over 100 local and regional representatives, on behalf of the municipalist movement represented by United Cities and Local Governments, attended the United Nations Summit of the Future, a once-in-a-generation opportunity bringing world leaders together to accelerate efforts to meet the existing international commitments, and take concrete steps to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities.
The proposal for a Summit of the Future originated in the reflections on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the UN; as well as in Our Common Agenda report by the UN Secretary-General, which calls for ideas on how better to respond to current and future challenges, considering that multilateral governance needs to be adjusted to today’s complex, interconnected, rapidly changing world.
This was achieved through an action-oriented outcome document called the Pact for the Future – adopted by world’s leaders - which covers a broad range of agendas including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance.
The Pact for the Future also includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. The Global Digital Compact seeks to establish an inclusive global framework to overcome digital, data and innovation divides; towards advancing an open, free, secure and human-centered digital future for all, one that is anchored in universal human rights and that enables the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Declaration on Future Generations is a commitment to protect the well-being of future generations, by considering long-term impacts in today's decision-making processes, for example in relation to inequality, conflict and climate change. Key areas of the Declaration include environmental protection, promoting intergenerational equity, and incorporating the interests of young people in policy-making.
Of course, the implementation of the Pact will need to be followed closely, but it is the most action-oriented document of this kind that was adopted at global level!
The role and the demands of Local and Regional Governments ahead of the Summit
The Summit of the Future was a strong political moment and a key opportunity to strengthen the engagement of Local and Regional Governments in the UN system, through the Global Task Force facilitated by UCLG.
LRGs played an active role in preparation of the Summit, by participating in the consultations on the Pact of the Future - facilitated by Namibia and Germany- through the Local Authorities Major Group (represented by the voice of UCLG); as well as through meetings of the UN Secretary-General Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments, a mechanism to engage contributions from sub-national stakeholders and enhance coordination and collaboration between cities, regions, nations, and international processes.
In the Action Days ahead of the Summit, LRGs such as Rabat, Kitchener, Utrecht, Montevideo Malmö, Konya, Amman, Paris, Belize, Banjul and regions such as Pichincha, Nouakchott and Kisumu were part of the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments. The World Assembly represented a space to call for the acknowledgment of local and regional governments as distinct political actors within the UN system, separate from other stakeholders, as a crucial step for the new multilateralism of the 21st century. The World Assembly called on the General Assembly for the explicit inclusion and recognition of local and regional governments within the Pact for the Future of the United Nations, to ensure that the voices of the lives of communities are accounted for in global decision-making.
The UCLG-CSIPDHR Co-President Philippe Rio, Mayor of Grigny, participated in the World Assembly; as well as in the event “Caring Territories for the Future: Feminist Municipalism for Equality, Climate Action, Democracy, and Peace.” The event focused on advancing feminist municipalism and care systems in local governance. Philippe Rio stressed the importance of making visible and promoting women in public space; as well as to foster feminist leadership to advance peace.
Moreover, ahead of the Summit, a third meeting of the UN Secretary-General Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments was held to deliver the United Nations global strategy for the engagement of local and regional governments in intergovernmental processes, as a result of the one-year works of the group. The UN Secretary-General presented a bold and ambitious vision for a networked and inclusive multilateralism where local and regional governments are governing partners through meaningful engagement in UN policymaking processes and bodies. The Advisory Group, composed of members from diverse regions and representing a broad spectrum of spheres of government, emphasized the need for a distinct status for local and regional governments in the UN framework to acknowledge their unique role as guardians of public trust and enablers of transformative change for a sustainable future for present and future generations.
Key results of the Summit and main takeaways from the Pact for the Future for Local and Regional Governments:
- The third meeting of the Advisory Group concluded with a unanimous commitment to continue advocating for the formal and permanent status of local governments within the United Nations system.
The World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments ended with a similar commitment to advocate for the formal inclusion within the United Nations system, and called on all Member States to support their cause.-
The call to action on Local and Regional Governments was reflected in the Pact for the Future under action 83, and 83 e):
Action 83. “We recognize the importance of the United Nations’ engagement with national parliaments and relevant stakeholders, while preserving the intergovernmental character of the Organization. The challenges we face require cooperation not only across borders but also across the whole of society. Our efforts must involve Governments as well as parliaments, the United Nations system and other international institutions, local authorities, Indigenous Peoples, civil society, business and the private sector, faith-based organizations, the scientific and academic communities, and all people to ensure an effective response to our common challenges.”
83 (e): “Request the Secretary-General to provide recommendations on how engagement with local and regional authorities could advance the 2030 Agenda, particularly the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals, by the end of the seventy-ninth session for Member States’ consideration.”
This acknowledgment is certainly an important step towards further recognition, especially because of its focus on localisation. Despite language in the Pact may not fully reflect the level of ambition that LRGs hoped for, the opportunities opened by this wording and the retained language on some of key priorities of LRGs. By focusing on housing, care, culture, gender, human rights, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and participatory governance, the Pact aligns with the core responsibilities and strengths of local governments.
Building on the discussions at the final meeting of the Advisory Group with the UN Secretary-General, this process has initiated a global dialogue and engaged member states, which is a significant and encouraging step forward to build upon.
Focus on the Pact of the Future from the CSIPDHR perspective:
The importance of Human Rights:
The Pact reinforces the importance of upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights treaties. It also highlights the need for addressing inequalities the fight against poverty, exclusion, and discrimination. However, the Pact does not stress enough concrete actions for poverty eradication from a Human Rights perspective.
Gender, climate action and human rights are at the core of the Pact: a central focus is placed on advancing gender equality, eliminating gender-based violence, and ensuring women's full participation in social, economic, and political life, including by leveraging care and support economy. Ensuring access to essential services like healthcare; education; adequate, safe and affordable housing; as well as social protection is also highlighted in Pact; which are essential priority areas for LRGs, and for the work UCLG-CSIPDHR.
The Pact connects human rights to environmental sustainability, asserting that everyone has the right to a healthy environment. The Pact also underscores the right to development as a human right, meaning that all individuals and communities should have the opportunity to participate in, contribute to, and benefit from economic, social, cultural, and political development. Moreover, it recognizes that future generations are entitled to all individual and collective human rights.
Last but not least, the Pact addresses the protection of human rights in the digital space. This includes safeguarding privacy, combating online discrimination, and ensuring equitable access to technology, especially through the Global Digital Compact.
Fostering the legal monitoring of the implementation of the Pact will be essential to ensure that Human Rights are implemented for all, and at all levels of Government.
What about Social Inclusion?
The Pact emphasizes the need to address inequalities by creating systems that promote the fair distribution of resources and opportunities, particularly marginalized groups such as women, youth, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and ethnic minorities.
It recognizes the importance of respecting cultural diversity as a vector social cohesion. and Promoting the rights of young people and their meaningful participation is also an essential aspect of the Pact.
What about Participatory Democracy?
The Pact highlights the importance of participatory governance; as well as the importance of strengthening democratic institutions that facilitate civic participation and dialogue, especially with marginalized groups, especially women and youth.
The Pact supports the creation of more transparent, accountable, and inclusive institutions, protecting freedom of expression and assembly; and addresses the role of technology in enhancing participatory democracy to enable broader public participation in decision-making.
Looking forward: towards the World Social Summit
The Summit of the Future and its outcomes represented an important occasion to work towards rebuilding trust in international cooperation and to shape a new multilateralism that truly reflects the needs and aspirations of communities worldwide. The Global Strategy, the Secretary-General’s Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments has set the stage for a transformative dialogue; and the Pact for the Future highlighted some of the key priorities and challenges that will drive the future of local-global governance.
It will be essential to advance these priorities at local level, fostering advocacy actions, learning initiatives and the development of common frameworks, for example through the UCLG Charter-Agenda for Human Rights in the City and through the Global Campaign “10,100,1000 Human Rights Cities and Territories by 2030”.
At the same time, the Summit of the Future is understood not as the culmination of a strategy towards a renewed multilateral system, but as its starting point. It is time for LRGs to position themselves even more as political actors.
This is particularly relevant in the preparation of the "Second World Summit for Social Development" (or “World Social Summit”), convened by the United Nations General Assembly and to be held in 2025; as an output of the Action 6 of the Pact of the Future (“We will invest in people to end poverty and strengthen trust and social cohesion”). The Summit will set out an ambitious common vision of social development aimed at social justice, solidarity, harmony and equality within and among countries.