The UN General Assembly has approved the “Pact for the Future,” a plan to unite the world’s countries to address the challenges of the 21st century, such as climate change, escalating conflicts, and growing inequality, Babel writes.
This is stated on the UN website.
The pact, along with its annexes-the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations-were adopted by consensus. However, at the last minute, some countries, including Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Syria, proposed an amendment.
The amendment was intended to include text calling for non-interference in any matter of national sovereignty and the priority of intergovernmental discussions, effectively diminishing the role of civil society or private sector interests. It was rejected.
What does the “Pact for the Future” envisage?
The five pillars of the Pact include: sustainable development; international peace and security; science and technology; youth and future generations; and the transformation of global governance.
By endorsing the Pact, UN member states, among other things, pledged to:
- Accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change;
- listen to young people and involve them in decision-making at the national and global levels;
- build stronger partnerships with civil society, the private sector, local and regional authorities, etc;
- redouble efforts to build and sustain peaceful, inclusive and just societies and address the root causes of conflict;
- protect all civilians in armed conflicts;
- accelerate the implementation of commitments on women, peace and security.
The Global Digital Compact is the first global agreement on the international regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) and is based on the idea that technology should benefit everyone.
It outlines commitments to ensure that digital technologies contribute to sustainable development and human rights, and to address risks such as the digital divide, cybersecurity, and misuse of technology.
According to the document, governments also commit to forming an impartial global scientific panel on AI and launching an international discussion on AI governance within the UN.
The Declaration on Future Generations focuses on ensuring the well-being of future generations and emphasizes the need to include their interests in decision-making processes.
It also emphasizes the importance of protecting the environment, promoting intergenerational equality, and ensuring that the long-term consequences of today’s actions are taken into account.
