UN Adopts Pact Aiming to Enhance Global Cooperation, According to Reuters

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a "Pact for the Future," which U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed as a significant agreement that represents a major shift towards more effective, inclusive, and interconnected multilateralism.

The pact, which includes an annex focused on fostering a responsible and sustainable digital future, was adopted without a vote at the outset of a two-day Summit of the Future. This agreement emerged after approximately nine months of negotiations.

"We are here to bring multilateralism back from the brink," Guterres stated during the summit.

Importance of the Pact

Guterres has been a strong advocate for both the summit and the pact, which addresses vital themes such as peace and security, global governance, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender issues, youth, and future generations. The agreement outlines around 56 broad actions that countries have committed to pursuing.

Key Quotes from the Pact for the Future

"We recognize that the multilateral system and its institutions, with the United Nations and its Charter at the center, must be reinforced to accommodate a changing world. They must be equipped for both present and future challenges—effective, capable, just, democratic, equitable, and representative of today’s global landscape, inclusive, interconnected, and financially stable."

"Today, we pledge a new beginning in multilateralism. The actions in this Pact aim to ensure that the United Nations and other critical multilateral institutions can foster a better future for people and the planet while fulfilling current commitments and addressing new and emerging challenges and opportunities."

Context

The necessity for U.N. reform and a revamp of international financial systems has been underscored by a series of global crises. Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, insufficient progress in combating climate change, widespread national debt issues, and concerns about unregulated technological advancements have all highlighted these challenges.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Vershinin expressed discontent regarding the negotiations and the adoption of the pact.

Russia’s attempt to incorporate an amendment—supported by North Korea, Syria, Nicaragua, Belarus, and Iran—that aimed to declare that "the United Nations and its system shall not intervene in matters that are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state," was unsuccessful.