Editorial

HERCULES and Sisyphus stand as contrasting figures in classical mythology, representing different facets of the human experience. Hercules symbolizes valor, resilience, and the ultimate triumph of good despite overwhelming odds. In contrast, Sisyphus embodies futility and endless striving without hope of fulfillment.

IN the summer of 2024, the proclaimed goals of the upcoming UN Summit of the Future loom as a Herculean task in their own right. Amid multiplying global crises, this stouthearted initiative of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres embodies a clarion call to chart a sustainable path forward for humanity. Yet, as we face the inordinate tide of environmental and geopolitical upheavals, the specter of Sisyphus emerges. The time for transformative action seems to have passed, relegating our collective hopes to the domain of damage control.

OUR contributors rightly observe that humanity has barely approached half of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, with the 1.5°C warming threshold set by the Paris Climate Agreement slipping beyond the bounds of wishful thinking. The obstacles to tangible progress are numerous and deeply entrenched, including geopolitical rivalries, inadequate financial frameworks, and the collusion of big businesses against the green transition. The international institutions, founded nearly eight decades ago, now appear woefully unfit for purpose and incapable of galvanizing the required action. Within these pages, eminent voices offer proposals on how to overhaul the UN system, secure climate finance, and align technological advancements with sustainability.

AS the call for global solidarity grows more urgent, the world drifts further into fragmentation. The relentless competition among great powers, as our authors remind us, has ushered in a new era of secessionism and division, with many more actors poised to exploit this fractured landscape. Great powers continue a zero-sum struggle, entangling entire regions in webs of dependency and despair.

AS global trade slows and economies falter, there is a growing lament for the diminishing benefits of globalization—a force that, despite its detractors, has connected the world in remarkable ways and spurred unprecedented human development. Those with deep insight into China propose a path toward “orderly multipolarization and mutually beneficial globalization,” envisioning a world that rejects unilateralism and protectionism. They believe that the global community can still forge cooperative mechanisms to avert catastrophic conflict, without a single power holding conclusive sway.

AGAINST this turbulent backdrop, the nations of Central Asia continue to prioritize development through multi-vector engagement. Their lessons resonate universally, aimed at securing a bright future for our youth, the ultimate inheritors of both our accomplishments and failures. The theme of youth disillusioned with the increasingly fragmented world seems appropriate—a generation listening to their leaders’ rhetoric resembling the strength of Hercules, but witnessing actions that mirror Sisyphus’s futile toil. As the UN Summit of the Future approaches, the question is whether we will bestow upon them a legacy of hope or despair.