UN Pact for Future must prioritise communities bearing brunt of climate emergency, says UN secretary-general
The world is seeing the signs of climate breakdown and the challenges we face need universal solutions, said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres while addressing the Summit of the Future on September 21, 2023.
He lauded member countries for agreeing to adopt an intergovernmentally negotiated Pact for the Future during the summit.
The Pact for the Future must reflect the priorities and concerns of women and men struggling to feed their families and communities bearing the brunt of the climate emergency, said Guterres.
It covers five areas: Sustainable development and related financing; international peace and security; science, technology, innovation and digital cooperation; youth and future generations; and transforming global governance.
“The Pact for the Future will be your contract with each other and with your people. It represents your pledge to use all the tools at your disposal at the global level to solve problems — before those problems overwhelm us,” he added.
The secretary-general said the pact will fully complement and reinforce the UN’s efforts to achieve sustainable development goals and create a more peaceful, sustainable and equitable world.
The cost-of-living crisis has hit billions of people around the world. And more countries than ever are struggling with debt distress or default, he added.
He urged delegates to draw inspiration from recent global agreements on global biodiversity, the high seas, climate loss and damage, and the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
“But, let’s be clear. Time is not on our side. In the two years since my report on Our Common Agenda, new conflicts have emerged and geopolitical tensions are higher than ever,” he warned.
“We cannot inch towards agreement while the world races towards a precipice. We must bring a new urgency to our efforts, and a shared sense of common purpose,” Guterres added.
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