H.E. Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Defense of Ecuador and the first woman from Latin America and the Caribbean to have served as President of the UN General Assembly (2018-2019). With more than 30 years of experience in multilateral diplomacy, she currently serves as President of Cities Alliance, Executive Director of Global Women Leaders for Change and Inclusion, GWLvoices, and a member of many leading international organizations, including the International Crisis Group, the UN Alliance of Civilizations, the UN Advisory Board on Human Security, the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, and the World Commission on the Economics of Water. You may follow her on X @mfespinosaEC.

The Summit of the Future, scheduled for September in New York, marks a crucial moment in a longstanding process of reflection and political commitment initiated during the United Nations’ 75th anniversary in 2020. The Summit is intended to “bring world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future.” The Summit will convene heads of state and government, world leaders, civil society, academia, and the private sector. It represents a unique opportunity to revive a multilateral system that many perceive as outdated and unfit to respond to current global challenges.

María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés as President of the UN General Assembly

For the past two years, UN member states have been negotiating the main outcome of this high-level gathering: the Pact of the Future, an action-oriented document intended to be endorsed during the Summit that will outline the agreed-upon reforms and commitments. However, in the currently tense global climate, agreeing on even modest reforms may prove challenging, if not impossible. There is a palpable concern that negotiations will accentuate existing divisions and exacerbate disagreements and fractures. Some member states prioritize security concerns, others advocate for human rights to take the center stage, and still others emphasize the right to development. Ultimately, achieving lasting peace, security, and a sustainable and safe future for all will require more and better international cooperation and a fully functional multilateral architecture.

The urgency surrounding the Summit and the Pact of the Future is intensified by growing skepticism about the UN’s efficacy and relevance. For many, this moment represents a “now or never” scenario. However, across governments, civil society, and academia, there is broad consensus on the fundamental need for the United Nations to undergo reform, revitalization, and rejuvenation. It is evident that the logic, geopolitical scenarios, and challenges of the post-World War II era must be reassessed. Yet, critical questions remain: how should these changes be implemented? When is the right time? In which specific areas should reforms be prioritized? These are the points where tensions begin to surface, revealing the complex web of interests and priorities that will play a role in the Summit negotiations and shape the future of the UN.

 

The Birth of a New Vision 

This process began in earnest during the United Nations’ 75th anniversary in 2020, a year marked by unprecedented global challenges highlighting the urgent need for enhanced international cooperation. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the interconnected nature of our world, demonstrating how a crisis in one part of the globe could rapidly escalate into a global catastrophe. At the same time, the intensifying impact of climate change, persistent conflicts, and growing inequalities within and between nations underscored the limitations of existing international frameworks to effectively address complex, multifaceted challenges.

Against this backdrop, world leaders gathered virtually to commemorate the UN’s 75th anniversary and adopted a forward-looking political declaration. This document, while celebrating the achievements of the UN over the past seven and a half decades, also acknowledged the organization’s shortcomings and the need for reform, which could only be addressed through reinvigorated multilateralism. This UN75 Declaration tasked the Secretary-General with producing a comprehensive report on the state of affairs in the United Nations, focusing on governance and the organization’s foundational mandates.

Responding to this call, Secretary-General António Guterres presented “Our Common Agenda” in September 2021. This document recognized that the world stands at an inflection point, and the choices made in coming years would determine whether humanity faces a future of “breakdown or breakthrough.” To navigate this critical juncture, the agenda called for a renewal of the social contract between governments and their people and between nations at the global level. It emphasized the need to rebuild trust and embrace a comprehensive vision of human rights as the foundation for collective action. The report also highlighted a series of aspects ranging from global health to artificial intelligence and the management of outer space, mainly where multilateral frameworks were either weak or absent.

Central to the Secretary-General’s vision was the proposal for a Summit of the Future and the adoption of a Pact for the Future. This high-level gathering was envisioned as a platform to forge a new global consensus on our collective future and how we can work together to achieve it. This proposal resonated with many member states and stakeholders, who saw it as a timely and necessary initiative. The ambitious scope of the Summit necessitated a comprehensive and inclusive preparatory process to address the complex challenges facing the global community.

As preparations for the Summit began, a High-Level Advisory Board on Multilateralism was established to consult with various stakeholders throughout 2022, with plans to report to the Secretary-General in early 2023. In February 2023, Secretary-General António Guterres released 11 policy briefs outlining concrete ideas to advance a range of critical issues, including the needs of future generations, an emergency platform to respond to complex global shocks, ensuring more participation by young people, fostering global digital cooperation, reforming the global financial architecture, promoting “A New Agenda for Peace,” and undertaking a comprehensive UN reform, known as UN 2.0. Preparations culminated in a ministerial meeting where member states shared their visions and priorities.

In September 2023, the SDG Summit, marking the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda’s implementation, emphasized the need for accelerated progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). According to the SDG report, only 17 percent of targets were on track, highlighting the urgency for renewed efforts. This urgency led to the adoption of the SDG Political Declaration, in which world leaders reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the goals and expressed deep concern over the current lack of progress. This context set the stage for the negotiations for the Pact of the Future, signaling a critical moment to reassess and re-strategize efforts toward sustainable development and a safer and peaceful future.

 

Envisioning the Future

The Pact for the Future is envisioned as a comprehensive agreement to guide UN reform and enhance international cooperation. It addresses a broad spectrum of issues, using the three UN foundational pillars—peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights—as its starting framework. The Pact is structured into five thematic chapters, each beginning with an introductory chapeau followed by a list of 58 actionable items. These items, expanded from an initial 52 through extensive consultations, are detailed in specific “actions.” The Pact’s structure mirrors the goals and targets framework of the 2030 Agenda, but with renamed terminology and incorporates additional commitments, especially on governance, including the reform of the UN Security Council.

The first chapter focuses on accelerating action toward Sustainable Development and Financing for Development, recognizing that achieving the SDGs is perilous. This section is focused on reaffirming the commitment to eradicating poverty, ending hunger, and closing the SDG financing gap in developing countries.

The second chapter of the Pact addresses International Peace and Security, a core mandate of the United Nations and a key element of the UN Charter. This section emphasizes the interconnectedness of peace, security, and sustainable development. It is expected to call for redoubled efforts to build and sustain peaceful, inclusive, and just societies and to address the root causes of conflicts.

The third chapter will focus on Science, Technology, Innovation, and Digital Cooperation. It recognizes and underscores the transformative potential of these areas in addressing current global challenges. Bridging the digital divide, promoting responsible innovation, and ensuring that technological advancements benefit all of humanity are central elements of this chapter. This section of the Pact will be complemented with a Global Digital Compact expected to be adopted at the Summit.

The fourth chapter, dedicated to Youth and Future Generations, will emphasize the importance of intergenerational equity and youth empowerment. This section outlines commitments to invest in youth education, employment, and meaningful participation in decisionmaking processes. These sections of the Pact will have a paired “Declaration on Future Generations,” which will also be adopted during the Summit.

The fifth and final chapter of the Pact is anticipated to focus on Transforming Global Governance. This section addresses the need for reform across various international institutions, including the UN Security Council, the revitalization of the General Assembly, and the international financial architecture. It aims to make these institutions more representative, effective, and responsive to contemporary global challenges.

The Pact has been the subject of intensive negotiations over the past two years. The zero draft, which was the starting point for intergovernmental deliberations, was released in January 2024. Subsequently, on May 14th, 2024, the co-facilitators of the negotiations published the first revision of the text, incorporating feedback and suggestions from member states and civil society. This was followed by the second revision on July 17th, further refining the document based on ongoing discussions and input from various stakeholders. A final Revised Document is expected to be presented by the end of August and put under “silence procedure” which means that it will be adopted except if there is disagreement or objections by one or more member states.  

Additionally, as mentioned, the Summit will adopt a new Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations that will be included as annexes of the Pact. The Digital Compact represents a focused effort to address the opportunities and challenges presented by the rapid advancement of digital technologies. This compact will set out shared principles for an open, free, and secure digital future. The third chapter of the Pact is expected to align closely with the goals of this Compact. While the Summit may not provide definitive answers on the UN’s approach to emerging technologies, it is an important starting point for longer-term discussions on international cooperation. However, as expected, divergences on access to new digital technologies, intellectual property rights, and regulation levels have emerged.

The Declaration on Future Generations is a pioneering effort to embed long-term thinking in global decisionmaking processes. This declaration is expected to articulate a commitment to intergenerational equity, recognizing that the decisions made today will profoundly impact the lives of future generations. The declaration should also recognize that tackling climate change, the primary threat to future generations, is a global public good that demands collective action. The fourth chapter of the Pact of the Future will correspond with the aims of this Declaration. The Declaration demonstrates a commitment to protecting the rights of the 10 billion people that are expected to be born by the second half of this century, mainly in developing countries.

Collectively, these three outcomes—the Pact of the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations—represent an ambitious and comprehensive agenda for reshaping global cooperation. Once adopted, these documents will serve as a blueprint for multilateral cooperation, guiding policy decisions and collaborative efforts across nations in the coming years.

 

Key Reforms Unveiled

Although the Pact aligns closely with the 2030 Agenda, it incorporates several new and pressing topics, reflecting the evolving global landscape. These additions include food security in the face of climate change, sustainable water resource management, and regulations for the increasingly commercialized outer space activities. By addressing these emerging global challenges alongside longstanding structural challenges, such as poverty and inequality, the Pact aims to provide a more comprehensive and up-to-date framework for international cooperation.

One of the most significant expected reforms is integrating the peace and security agenda with sustainable development efforts. There is a considerable focus on areas such as prevention, dialogue, combating racism, countering misinformation, and addressing violence. It has been expanded to include new actions on maritime security, the implementation of disarmament commitments, and the need for regional frameworks and national actions. This section aligns with the vision presented in the UN Secretary-General’s 2023 policy brief entitled “A New Agenda for Peace,” which emphasizes prevention and peacebuilding and is rooted in the principles of trust, solidarity, and universality. It is crucial that the UN Charter’s principles remain central in these efforts to guarantee international norms and laws. The UN should remain the main institution where diplomacy, dialogue, conflict prevention, and mechanisms for dispute resolution prevail.

Addressing environmental challenges is another area where significant reforms are anticipated. According to the most recent UNEP Climate Action Note, the world is in a climate emergency with increasing extreme weather events affecting all regions and rising greenhouse gas emissions. Although the text of the Pact acknowledges the existence of climate-related challenges, it is not recognized as a full-scale crisis. In this sense, the Pact’s treatment of climate change is notably sparse, with minimal references to critical agreements like the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development and the Paris Agreement. The established language of these agreements should be adopted to emphasize the urgency of staying within the 1.5-degree threshold and accelerating climate action, especially in supporting developing countries’ efforts to invest in adaptation and build resilience with the necessary resources, low-carbon technologies, and capacity. It would also benefit from referencing other key frameworks, such as the recently adopted Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. There are several voices from environmental organizations, scientists, and experts calling for a new Earth Council that addresses the critical issue of planetary boundaries, environmental sustainability, and the need for just and sound transitions to a development model that does not alter the already fragile ecological balance on which human livelihoods depend. The UN General Assembly has called for concrete proposal, the Declaration of a Planetary Emergency. 

Another crucial aspect of the Pact is ensuring the financial stability of the multilateral system, particularly in securing funding for the UN’s operation. For the Organization to deliver and respond promptly to the mandates established by member states, it will require a sufficient and predictable financial resource base. The proposed reforms of the international financial architecture include addressing debt restructuring mechanisms, enhancing global tax cooperation, and democratizing governance and decisionmaking within multilateral development banks. There is growing concern about the need for detailed plans for implementing these decisions, which have caused contentious debates, as explained in the next section. Nonetheless, the Pact explicitly mentions the need to improve access for developing countries to leadership positions within international financial institutions and calls for adjustments to quotas and voting power, particularly reiterating the longstanding demand from African countries. However, without clear implementation strategies, including ideas for new financial tools or sources, these reforms risk remaining theoretical rather than translating into real-world improvements.

Promoting inclusive governance and human rights, gender equality, and women’s rights is another key area of reform that can be found transversally in the pact. There is a recognition of gender equality, including in relevant aspects such as the need to revitalize the Commission on the Status of Women, the main platform to assess the state of play in women’s rights and empowerment. The role of women in peacebuilding efforts, higher investment, and more emphasis on recognizing violence against women and girls are some of the issues included in the pact. The pact also includes cross-cutting references to the situation of persons with disabilities and highlights the importance of youth participation in decisionmaking. While the Pact’s emphasis on inclusivity is clear, it acknowledges the challenges in implementing these policies.

 

A Rocky Road to Consensus

Agreeing on the terms and language of the Pact of the Future has been a challenging process, marked by significant differences in the two revisions. A clear divide has emerged between the so-called Global North and Global South. For Western and Northern countries, priorities include human rights and the establishment of a new and effective peace and security architecture. In contrast, developing countries place greater emphasis on reforming the international economic system, with key concerns including financing for development, debt relief, and a new international tax deal.

The shift from concrete actions to broader promises, as seen between the first and second revisions, represents a significant concern for developing countries. Additionally, although member states have acknowledged inadequate financing as an important cause for many developing countries falling behind global goals, the development and financial commitments remain unfulfilled by the so-called Global North.

Another contentious issue is the impact of unilateral economic measures. The Pact seeks to reiterate that States should not apply these measures outside international law and the UN Charter. While it is addressed in the latest revision of the Pact, it remains a point of contention that will likely persist until the final version is agreed upon. These measures often disproportionately affect developing countries, exacerbating economic disparities and hindering sustainable development. Addressing this issue in a balanced manner is crucial for maintaining international solidarity and ensuring that the Pact reflects a truly global consensus.

Additionally, the reform of the UN Security Council continues to be a highly debated topic. For the past two decades, discussions have focused on balancing the number of seats to better reflect the current global landscape. In current negotiations, emerging powers, such as Brazil and India, advocate for expanding permanent seats. Another unresolved issue is the use of veto power and the overall working methods of the Security Council. An interesting development was the General Assembly’s resolution to hold the permanent members accountable when using a veto, passed in April 2022. The Pact should result in a formal agreement to expedite future discussions on reform or establish a nominal deadline for completing these discussions. The language framing the Security Council reform is still under discussion.

The Summit and the resulting outcomes, including the Pact, have triggered the interest and the intellect of many actors, think tanks, and civil society organizations that have actively engaged in the discussions and contributed with a myriad of creative proposals, ranging from the establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly to a call for a UN Charter Review Conference based on its Article 109, peered with a proposal for a “Second Charter” and the proposal to transform the Trusteeship Council into a body dedicated to enhancing the governance of the global commons. Most civil society organizations have also advocated for clear compliance mechanisms and specific timeframes for implementing the 58 actions in the second revised draft of the Pact. These shortcomings reflect the complexities and compromises inherent in multilateral negotiations, exacerbated by the current geopolitical tensions.

 

The Day After: Implementation and Action

The day after the Summit concludes, the real work begins. There is a sincere hope that agreement can be reached on the fundamental principles of better governance, increased effectiveness, greater accountability, and more robust action and implementation on key reform proposals. The Pact should reaffirm the UN’s central role and lasting relevance as the only universal international organization governed by a legally binding charter. The UN remains as one of the only places where all countries, including smaller and most vulnerable ones, have a voice. The Summit of the Future represents a critical opportunity to bridge divides, overcome the current polarization, and create a more inclusive and equitable global governance system that fits the complexity and risks of our time.

The success of the Summit will ultimately be measured not by the ambitious declarations made or the comprehensive documents produced but by the concrete actions taken to implement its outcomes. For the UN to maintain its relevance and authority, it is crucial that these fundamental proposals are not only agreed upon but also effectively pursued. In that sense, the Summit should be seen not as an endpoint but as the beginning of a long-term transformation process. The reforms and initiatives it set in motion will take years to fully materialize. This demands patience, persistence, and a commitment to long-term thinking—qualities often in short supply in our fast-paced, crisis-driven world.

To ensure these goals are achieved, two key aspects must be considered in the aftermath of the Summit. First, the implementation through variable geometry. This involves a tiered approach to reform, recognizing that some changes will require significant management and administrative adjustments that can be implemented and acted upon without delay, other changes will require more time and resources, and some of the proposed actions, like the contentious issue of UN Security Council reform, may be slower, and may take long and strained negotiations.

Second, accountability and follow-up measures are critical for the success of the Pact. Clear mechanisms are needed to ensure that the commitments made are followed through. The connection of the Pact with upcoming events, such as the Social Summit and the Financing for Development Conference in 2025, will be central to maintaining momentum. The key to achieving meaningful progress is ensuring that member states and civil society take ownership of the agreed transformations and actions.

In this context, hope and trust emerge as the most precious and necessary ingredients in this fractured world. Hope is not merely an expression of optimism or naïveté; it is a powerful political tool, a catalyst for building a fairer and more effective multilateral system. Equally important is trust, which serves as the foundation for international cooperation and collective action. Rebuilding trust among nations, between governments and their citizens, and within the international community is crucial for the successful implementation of the Pact.

The challenges ahead are significant, but there is a real opportunity to strengthen the UN, considering its irreplaceable role as the world’s platform for diplomacy, dialogue, and understanding. It serves as the laboratory for international law and space for setting standards and providing policy guidance. While the transformation of the United Nations is daunting, it is essential for building a more resilient, equitable, and peaceful world for current and future generations.

Back to Table of Contents