Pact for the Future  

Consult AI Assistant for the Pact for the Future

Text of the Pact for the Future

Rev 2 | 17 July 2024

Introduction

1. We, the Heads of State and Government, representing the peoples of the world, have gathered at  United Nations Headquarters to protect the needs and interests of present and future generations through the actions agreed in this Pact for the Future. 

2. We are at a time of profound global transformation. Too many of our fellow human beings face  avoidable suffering. We are confronted by a growing range of catastrophic and existential risks. If we  do not change course, we risk tipping irreversibly into a future of persistent crisis and breakdown.  

3. Yet this is also a moment of hope and opportunity. Global transformation is a chance for renewal  and progress grounded in our common humanity. Advances in knowledge, science, technology, and  innovation, if properly and equitably managed, could deliver a breakthrough to a better and more  sustainable future for all.  

4. We believe there is a path to a brighter future for all of humanity, including for the most vulnerable.  Through the actions we take today, we resolve to set ourselves on that path, striving for a world that is  safe, sustainable, peaceful, inclusive, just, equal, orderly, and resilient.  

5. This will require a recommitment to multilateralism, without which we can neither manage the risks  nor seize the opportunities we face. This is not an option but a necessity. Our challenges are deeply  interconnected and far exceed the capacity of any single State alone. They can only be addressed  collectively, through strong and sustained international cooperation guided by trust and solidarity.  

6. We recognize that the multilateral system and its institutions, with the United Nations at the centre,  must be strengthened to keep pace with a changing world. They must be fit for the present and the  future – effective, prepared, representative, inclusive, interconnected, and financially stable.  

7. Today, we pledge a new beginning in international cooperation. The actions in this Pact represent  meaningful changes to multilateralism so that it delivers a better future for people and planet. This  will enable us to fulfil our existing commitments while rising to new and emerging challenges and  opportunities.  

8. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to international law, including the Charter of the United  Nations and its purposes and principles. We also reaffirm that the three pillars of the United Nations – sustainable development in all its dimensions, peace and security, and human rights – are equally  important, interlinked and mutually reinforcing. We cannot have one without the others.  

9. The quest to achieve sustainable development for all, leaving no-one behind, is and will always be  a central objective of multilateralism. We reaffirm our enduring commitment to the 2030 Agenda for  Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals. We will urgently accelerate  progress towards achieving the goals, including through concrete political steps and adequate  finance. Poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, remains the greatest  global challenge and its eradication is an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. We are mindful that sustainable development can only be secured if we succeed in drastically  mitigating global CO2 emissions in order to keep temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius, and  support developing countries to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change.  

10. The UN Charter commits to protecting succeeding generations from the scourge of war. With that  scourge taking on new and more dangerous forms, our efforts must also evolve. We will comply with  our obligations under international law and reverse the erosion of international norms. We will make  

full use of all the instruments and mechanisms set out in the UN Charter and international law,  intensify our use of diplomacy to resolve our disputes peacefully, strengthen accountability and end  impunity.  

11. Every commitment in this Pact is fully consistent and aligned with international law. We reaffirm  the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the fundamental freedoms and protections enshrined  therein and we will place human rights at the heart of our actions to implement the Pact. We will  protect and promote all human rights, recognizing their universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness and we will be unequivocal in what we stand for and uphold: freedom from fear  and freedom from want for all without discrimination. 

12. None of our goals can be achieved without the full, equal and meaningful participation of all women and girls. We reaffirm our commitment to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and  to accelerating our efforts to achieve gender equality, women’s participation and the empowerment  of women and girls in all domains and to eliminating all forms of discrimination and violence against  women and girls. 

13. On the occasion of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, we pledged to reinvigorate  global action to ensure the future we want and to effectively respond to current and future  challenges, in partnership with all stakeholders.  

14. We recognize that the well-being of current and future generations and the sustainability of our  planet rests on our willingness to take action. We will review progress on the implementation of the  actions in this Pact and its Annexes at the beginning of the eighty-third session through a meeting at  the level of Heads of State and Government. 

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT 

15. In 2015, we resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty, hunger and want and to  heal and secure our planet. We promised we would leave no one behind. We have made some  progress, but the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals is in peril. Progress on most of  the goals is either moving too slowly or has regressed below the 2015 baseline. Years of sustainable  development gains are being reversed. Poverty and hunger have increased and inequalities have  widened. Human rights are under threat, and we run the risk of leaving millions of people behind.  Climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification and sand and dust storms and pollution pose  immense risks to our natural environment and our prospects for development. 

16. We will not accept a future in which dignity and opportunity are denied to half the world’s  population or becomes the sole preserve of those with privilege and wealth. Sustainable  development and the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms are interdependent and  mutually reinforcing. We reaffirm that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is our  overarching road map for achieving sustainable development in all three of its dimensions,  overcoming the multiple, interlinked crises we face and securing a better future for present and future  generations. We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme  poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable  development. We reaffirm that gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls is an  essential prerequisite to sustainable development. We cannot achieve our shared ambitions for the  future without addressing these challenges with urgency and renewed vigour. We are committed to  ensuring that the multilateral system can turbocharge our aspirations to deliver for people and planet.  

Action 1. We will take bold, ambitious, accelerated, just and transformative actions to  implement the 2030 Agenda, achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and leave no one  behind. 

17. We reiterate our steadfast commitment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030  and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. We recognize that the 2030 Agenda  is universal and that all developing countries, including countries in special situations and those with  specific challenges, require assistance to implement the Agenda. We reaffirm all the principles of the  Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including the principle of common but  differentiated responsibilities. We decide to: 

(a) Scale up our efforts towards the full implementation of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable  Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement¹. 

(b) Fully implement the Political Declaration agreed at the Sustainable Development Goals Summit in  2023. 

(c) Mobilize and deliver significant and adequate resources and investments from all sources for  sustainable development. 

(d) Remove all obstacles to sustainable development and refrain from economic coercion. 

Action 2. We will place the eradication of poverty at the centre of our efforts to achieve the 2030  Agenda. 

18. Eradicating poverty, in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is an imperative for  all humankind. We decide to: 

(a) Take comprehensive and targeted measures to eradicate poverty by addressing the  multidimensional nature of poverty, including through rural development strategies. 

(b) Take concrete actions to prevent people falling back into poverty, including by establishing social  protection systems. 

Action 3. We will end hunger and eliminate food insecurity. 

19. We remain deeply concerned that one-third of the world’s population remain food insecure, and  we will respond to and tackle the drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition. We decide to: 

(a) Support countries and communities affected by food insecurity through the provision of  emergency food supplies, programmes, financing, support to agricultural production, and by ensuring  food and agriculture supply chains function, and markets and trade channels remain open. 

(b) Assist countries in debt distress manage volatility in international food markets and work in  partnership with international financial institutions to support developing countries affected by food  insecurity.  

¹ Adopted under the UNFCCC in FCCC/CP/2015/10/Add.1, decision 1/CP.21.

(c) Promote equitable, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems so that everyone has access to  safe, affordable and nutritious food. 

Action 4. We will close the SDG financing gap in developing countries.  

20. We are deeply concerned by the growing SDG financing gap facing developing countries. We must  close this gap to prevent a lasting sustainable development divide, widening inequality between and  among countries and a further erosion of trust in international relations and the multilateral system.  We note ongoing efforts to address the SDG financing gap, including through the Secretary-General’s  proposal for an SDG Stimulus. We decide to: 

(a) Provide and mobilize sustainable, affordable, accessible, transparent and predictable  development finance and the required means of implementation to developing countries. 

(b) Continue to advance with urgency the Secretary-General’s proposal for an SDG Stimulus at the  United Nations and in other relevant fora and institutions. 

(c) Scale up and fulfil our respective official development assistance commitments, with the goal of  reaching 0.7 per cent of gross national income for official development assistance (ODA/GNI), and  0.15 to 0.20 per cent of gross national income for official development assistance to Least Developed  Countries and continue discussions on the modernization of measurements of official development  assistance.  

(d) Ensure that development assistance is focused on, and reaches, developing countries, in  particular the poorest communities, and those in vulnerable situations, and take further actions to  strengthen its effectiveness. 

(e) Create a more enabling environment at the global, regional and national level to increase the  mobilization of domestic resources and enhance the capacities, institutions and systems of  developing countries at all levels to achieve this goal, including through international support, to  increase investment in sustainable development. 

(f) Implement effective economic, social and environmental policies and ensure good governance  and transparent institutions to advance sustainable development. 

(g) Strengthen ongoing efforts to prevent and combat illicit financial flows, corruption, money  laundering, tax evasion and tax avoidance, eliminate safe havens and recover and return assets  derived from illicit activities. 

(h) Strengthen the inclusiveness and effectiveness of international tax cooperation and engage  constructively in negotiations to finalize a United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax  Cooperation, ensuring coherence and complementarity with ongoing work in other fora. 

(i) Explore options for international cooperation on the taxation of high net-worth individuals in the  appropriate fora. 

(j) Support developing countries to catalyze increased private sector investment in sustainable  development, including by creating a more enabling domestic and international regulatory and  investment environment.  

(k) Scale up international support for investment in increasing productive capacities, sustainable  industrialization, infrastructure and structural economic transformation in developing countries. 

(l) Secure an ambitious outcome at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for  Development in 2025 that will close the SDG financing gap.  

Action 5. We will ensure that the multilateral trading system continues to be an engine for  sustainable development. 

21. We are committed to a universal, rules-based, non-discriminatory, open, fair, inclusive, equitable  and transparent multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core. We underscore the importance of the multilateral trading system contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. We reiterate that States are strongly urged to refrain from  promulgating and applying unilateral economic measures not in accordance with international law  and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social  development, particularly in developing countries. We decide to: 

(a) Promote export-led growth in developing countries through, inter alia, preferential trade access for  developing countries and targeted special and differential treatment that responds to the  development needs of individual countries. 

(b) Work towards concluding the necessary reform of the WTO to improve all its functions and  effectively address the challenges facing global trade.  

(c) Facilitate the accession of developing countries to the WTO and promote trade and investment  liberalization and facilitation.  

Action 6. We will invest in people to end poverty and strengthen trust and social cohesion.  

22. We express our deep concern at persistent inequalities within and between countries and at the  slow pace of progress towards improving the lives and livelihoods of people everywhere, including  people in vulnerable situations. We must meet the Sustainable Development Goals for all segments  of society and leave no one behind, including through the localization of sustainable development.  We decide to:  

(a) Secure ambitious outcomes on all aspects of social development at the World Social Summit  entitled the Second World Summit for Social Development. 

(b) Eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities by promoting universal health coverage, increasing  access to quality, inclusive education and lifelong learning, including in emergencies, and improving  opportunities for decent work for all. 

(c) Ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and support developing countries  to plan and implement just, safe, healthy, accessible, resilient and sustainable cities, and accelerate  efforts to ensure access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for all. 

(d) Maximize the positive contribution of migrants to the sustainable development of origin,  destination and host countries and strengthen partnerships for safe, orderly and regular migration to  comprehensively address the drivers of irregular migration and ensure the safety, dignity and human  rights of all migrants. 

(e) Address, manage and promote the prevention of water scarcity and build resilience to drought to  achieve a world in which water is a sustainable resource, and ensure the availability and sustainable  management of clean and safe water, hygiene and sanitation for all. 

Action 7. We will strengthen our efforts to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies that  provide equal access to justice for all and uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms. 

23. We recognize that the Sustainable Development Goals seek to achieve all human rights and that  securing peace, upholding the rule of law and respecting promoting, protecting and fulfilling all  human rights are essential to achieving sustainable development that leaves no one behind. We  decide to: 

(a) Respect, protect and fulfil all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to  development, promote effective rule of law and good governance at all levels and build transparent,  inclusive, effective and accountable institutions. 

(b) Ensure that all human rights are at the centre of our efforts to eradicate poverty, combat  inequalities, leave no one behind and implement the 2030 Agenda.

Action 8. We will accelerate the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all  women and girls as essential prerequisites to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. 

24. We recognize that the achievement of full human potential and sustainable development is not  possible if women and girls are denied full human rights and opportunities. Sustained, inclusive and  equitable economic growth and sustainable development can only be realized when all women,  adolescent girls and girls have their full human rights respected, protected and fulfilled, including  universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. We decide to: 

(a) Take bold, ambitious, accelerated, just and transformative actions to ensure the full and equal  enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all women and girls.  

(b) Urgently remove all legal, social and economic barriers to achieve gender equality and ensure  women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of  decision-making in political, economic and public life. 

(c) Take targeted and accelerated action to eradicate all forms of violence against all women and girls,  including sexual and gender-based violence. 

(d) Significantly increase investments to close the gender gap, including in the care and support  economy, acknowledging the linkage between poverty and gender inequality. 

Action 9. We will enhance our ambition to address climate change. 

25. We are deeply concerned at the slow pace of progress in addressing climate change, the  continued growth in greenhouse gas emissions and the increasing frequency and intensity of the  adverse impacts of climate change, in particular on developing countries, especially those that are  particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. We reaffirm the importance of  accelerating action on the basis of the best available science, reflecting equity and the principle of  common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different  national circumstances. We decide to: 

(a) Work towards an ambitious outcome at the upcoming United Nations Framework Convention on  Climate Change’s COP29, including setting the new collective quantified goal on climate finance and  building on the UAE consensus that includes the outcome of the first global stocktake of the Paris  Agreement. 

(b) Come forward in our next nationally determined contributions with ambitious, economy-wide  emission reduction targets, covering all greenhouse gases, sectors and categories and aligned with  limiting global warming to 1.5 °C, as informed by the latest science, in the light of different national  circumstances. 

(c) Protect everyone on earth through universal coverage of early warning systems by 2027, including  through the accelerated implementation of the Early Warnings for All initiative and promote a disaster  risk-informed approach to sustainable development that integrates disaster risk reduction into  policies, programmes and investments at all levels. 

Action 10. We will accelerate our efforts to protect, conserve and sustainably use the  environment. 

26. We are deeply concerned about rapid environmental degradation, and we recognize the urgent  need for a fundamental shift in our approach in order to achieve a world in which humanity lives in  harmony with nature. We must conserve, restore and sustainably use our planet’s ecosystems and  

natural resources to support the health and well-being of present and future generations. We will  address the interlinked causes and adverse impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution,  water scarcity, floods, desertification, land degradation, drought, deforestation and sand and dust  storms. We decide to:

(a) Achieve a world in which humanity lives in harmony with nature, conserve and sustainably use our  planet’s resources and reverse the trends of environmental degradation. 

(b) Take ambitious action to improve the health, productivity, sustainable use and resilience of the  oceans and their ecosystems, and conserve and sustainably use and restore seas and freshwater  resources, as well as forests, mountains, glaciers and drylands and protect, conserve and restore  biodiversity, ecosystems and wildlife. 

(c) Promote sustainable consumption and production patterns, including sustainable lifestyles, and  circular economy approaches as a pathway to achieving sustainable consumption and production  patterns, and zero waste initiatives. 

(d) Accelerate efforts to address the pollution of air, land and soil, freshwater and the oceans, including the sound management of chemicals, and finalize the negotiations on an ambitious  international legally-binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, by  the end of 2024. 

(e) Deliver on our agreed commitments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and implement  all multilateral environmental agreements. 

Action 11. We will protect and promote culture and sport as an integral component of  sustainable development. 

27. We recognize that culture offers people and communities a strong sense of identity and fosters  social cohesion and that sport can contribute to individuals’ and communities’ health and wellbeing.  Culture and sport therefore have the potential to be important enablers of sustainable development. We decide to: 

(a) Ensure that culture and sport can contribute to more effective, inclusive, equitable and  sustainable development, and integrate culture into economic, social and environmental  development policies and strategies and ensure adequate public investment in the protection and  promotion of culture. 

(b) Engage promptly and constructively in bilateral negotiations, engaging relevant stakeholders as  required, on the return or restitution to countries of their cultural property of spiritual, historical and  cultural value, and strengthen international cooperation on this issue. 

(c) Promote intercultural and interreligious dialogue to strengthen social cohesion and contribute to  sustainable development. 

Action 12. We will plan for the future and strengthen our collective efforts to turbocharge the full  implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by 2030 and beyond. 

28. We remain steadfastly focused and committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals  by 2030. We will sustain our efforts to build the future we want by addressing existing, new and  emerging challenges to sustainable development by 2030 and beyond. We decide to: 

(a) Significantly advance progress towards the full and timely achievement of the 2030 Agenda for  Sustainable Development by 2030.  

(b) Consider in September 2027, at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development  (HLPF), under the auspices of the General Assembly, how we will advance sustainable development  by 2030 and beyond. 

INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY 

29. The global security landscape is undergoing profound transformation and we are concerned  about the increasing and diverse threats to international peace and security, including the growing risks of a nuclear war which could pose an existential threat to humanity. Amidst this changing  context, we reaffirm our commitment to international law and our obligation to act in accordance with the Charter, including its purposes and principles, and our full respect for the sovereign equality  of all Member States, the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples and our  obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political  independence of any state. We also reaffirm our commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human  Rights. 

30. The United Nations has an indispensable role in the maintenance of international peace and  security. Our efforts to urgently address accumulating and diverse threats to international peace and  security, on land, sea, in the air, in outer space and in cyberspace, should be supported by efforts to  rebuild trust, strengthen solidarity, and deepen cooperation, including through the intensified use of  diplomacy. We will take into account the recommendations in the New Agenda for Peace. 

Action 13. We will redouble our efforts to build and sustain peaceful, inclusive and just societies  and address the root causes of conflicts. 

31. We recognize the interdependence of international peace and security, sustainable development  and human rights and we reaffirm the importance of the rule of law. We are concerned about the  potential impact that the global increase in military expenditures could have on investments in  sustainable development and sustaining peace. We decide to: 

(a) Strengthen resilience and comprehensively address underlying drivers and root causes of armed  conflict, violence, and insecurity and their consequences, including by accelerating the investment in  and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

(b) Provide equal access to justice, protect civic space and uphold human rights for all, including  through promoting a culture of peace, tolerance and peaceful coexistence, eradicating religious  discrimination, racism and xenophobia and by enhancing human security. 

(c) Ensure that spending on arms does not come at the expense of investment in sustainable  development and building sustainable peace and request the Secretary-General to provide analysis  on the impact of the global increase in military expenditure on the achievement of the Sustainable  Development Goals by the end of the seventy-ninth session. 

Action 14. We will protect all civilians in armed conflict. 

32. We condemn in the strongest terms the devastating impact of armed conflict on civilians, civilian  infrastructure and cultural heritage, and we are particularly concerned about the disproportionate  impact of violence on women, children, persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups in armed  conflict. Genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are prohibited under international law  and we recommit to our obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law,  international human rights law and international refugee law. We decide to: 

(a) Take concrete and practical measures to protect all civilians in armed conflict, in particular people in vulnerable situations. 

(b) Accelerate the implementation of our commitments under the children and armed conflict  agenda. 

(c) Refrain from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas when their use may be expected to  cause harm to civilians or civilian objects, including essential civilian infrastructure, schools, medical  facilities and places of worship.  

(d) Enable safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access and assistance, and full respect for the  humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. 

(e) Protect all humanitarian and medical personnel and all journalists and media professionals in  armed conflict.

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Pact for the Future: Rev.2 17 July 2024 

(f) Redouble our efforts to end impunity and ensure accountability for atrocity crimes and other gross  violations, such as the use of starvation of civilians as a method of war and gender-based violence,  including conflict-related sexual violence. 

(g) Encourage a collective and voluntary agreement amongst the permanent members of the Security  Council to refrain from the use of the veto when the Security Council intends to take action to prevent or halt genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes. 

Action 15. We will ensure people affected by humanitarian emergencies receive the support  they need. 

33. We express grave concern at the unprecedented number of people affected by humanitarian  emergencies, including those experiencing forced and increasingly protracted displacement and  those afflicted by hunger, acute food insecurity and famine. We decide to: 

(a) Strengthen our efforts to prevent, anticipate and mitigate the impact of humanitarian emergencies  on people in need, especially the most vulnerable.  

(b) Address the root causes of forced and protracted displacement, including the mass displacement  of populations, and implement durable solutions for IDPs and refugees, including through equitable  international burden and responsibility sharing, and support to host communities. 

(c) Eliminate the scourge of hunger, acute food insecurity and famine in armed conflict now and for  future generations, deploying all the knowledge, resources and capacities at our disposal, including  by fulfilling our obligations to remove all restrictions on humanitarian assistance and ensure people in  need receive vital assistance, strengthening early warning, developing social protection systems, and  taking preventive measures that builds the resilience of communities at risk. 

(d) Significantly increase financial and other forms of support to countries and communities facing  humanitarian emergencies, including host communities, including by scaling up innovative and  anticipatory financing mechanisms. 

Action 16. We will promote cooperation and understanding between Member States, defuse  tensions, seek the pacific settlement of disputes and resolve conflicts. 

34. We reaffirm our commitment to preventive diplomacy, the peaceful settlement of disputes and  the importance of dialogue between states. We recognize the United Nations’ role in preventive  diplomacy and the importance of the United Nations’ partnership with regional and sub-regional  organizations to prevent and resolve conflicts between Member States. We decide to: 

(a) Prioritize conflict prevention and resolution by revitalizing and implementing existing mechanisms  for the peaceful settlement of disputes, in accordance with the Charter. 

(b) Develop and implement new mechanisms for the pacific settlement of disputes, confidence building, early warning and crisis management mechanisms, at the sub-regional, regional, and  international level to address new and emerging threats to international peace and security. 

(c) Intensify the use of diplomacy and mediation to ease tensions in situations which may pose a  threat to international peace and security, including through early diplomatic efforts.  

(d) Urge the Secretary-General to actively use the good offices of the Secretary-General and ensure  the United Nations is adequately equipped to lead and support mediation and preventive diplomacy and encourage the Secretary-General to bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter that may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.  

(e) Support regional and sub-regional organizations’ role in diplomacy, mediation and the pacific  settlement of disputes, and strengthen the coordination and cooperation between these  organizations and the United Nations in this regard.

Action 17. We will fulfil our commitment to comply with the decisions of the International Court  of Justice in any case to which our State is a party.  

35. We recognize the positive contribution of the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial  organ of the United Nations, including in adjudicating disputes among States, and the value of its  work for the promotion of the rule of law. We reaffirm the obligation of all States to comply with the  decisions of the International Court of Justice in cases to which they are parties. We decide to: 

(a) Take appropriate steps to ensure that the International Court of Justice can fully and effectively  discharge its mandate and promote awareness of its role in the peaceful settlement of disputes,  while respecting that parties to any dispute shall also seek other peaceful means of their own choice. 

Action 18. We will build and sustain peace at the national level. 

36. We recognize that Member States bear the primary responsibility for preventing conflict and  building peace in their countries, and that national efforts to build and sustain peace contribute to  the maintenance of international peace and security. Adequate, predictable and sustained financing  for peacebuilding is essential, and we welcome the recent General Assembly decision to increase the  resources available to the United Nations’ Peacebuilding Fund. We decide to: 

(a) Deliver on our commitment in the 2030 Agenda to significantly reduce all forms of violence and  related death rates everywhere. 

(b) Redouble our efforts to eliminate sexual and gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual  violence. 

(c) Eliminate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, religious intolerance and all other forms of  intolerance and discrimination from our societies and promote interreligious and intercultural  dialogue.  

(d) Strengthen and implement existing national prevention strategies and approaches, and develop  them where they do not exist, on a voluntary basis, to address the root causes of violence and armed  conflict. 

(e) Provide assistance to States, upon request, including through the Peacebuilding Commission and the entire United Nations system, to build national capacity to develop and implement their  nationally-owned prevention strategies and approaches and address the root causes of violence and conflict in their countries. 

(f) Request the Secretary-General to provide Member States with examples and analysis of best  practice and effective approaches from existing national, regional and sub-regional prevention  mechanisms or strategies to be presented at the 80th session to facilitate lesson learning between  Member States.  

(g) Address the risks associated with small arms and light weapons, their ammunition and parts and  components, including through national prevention strategies and approaches. 

(h) Address the risks to the stability and cohesion of our societies posed by disinformation,  misinformation, hate speech and content inciting harm, including content disseminated through  digital platforms, while respecting the right to freedom of expression and privacy and ensuring  unhindered access to the internet. 

(i) Pursue stronger alignment between the United Nations, international and regional financial  institutions and the needs of Member States affected by conflict and violence to support their  economic stability, national prevention and peacebuilding efforts. 

Action 19. We will accelerate the implementation of our commitments on women and peace and  security.

37. We recognize the role of women as agents of peace. The full, equal, safe, and meaningful  participation of women in decision-making at all levels of peace and security, including conflict  prevention and resolution, is essential to achieve sustainable peace. We condemn in the strongest  terms the increased levels of violence against all women and girls, who are particularly at risk of  violence in armed conflict, post-conflict situations and humanitarian emergencies. We decide to: 

(a) Redouble our efforts to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment, including by  preventing setbacks and tackling the persistent barriers to the implementation of the women and  peace and security agenda, and ensure that initiatives to advance these efforts are adequately  financed. 

(b) Deliver on our commitments to ensure that women can fully, equally and meaningfully participate  in all United Nations-led mediation and peace processes.  

(c) Take concrete steps to eliminate and prevent the full range of threats and human rights violations  and abuses experienced by all women and girls in armed conflict, post-conflict situations and  humanitarian emergencies, including gender-based violence and conflict related sexual violence. 

(d) Accelerate our ongoing efforts to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in  peace operations. 

Action 20. We will accelerate the implementation of our commitments on youth, peace and  security. 

38. We recognize that the full, effective and meaningful participation of all young persons is critical to  maintain and promote international peace and security. We decide to: 

(a) Take concrete measures to ensure young persons can participate in decision-making at all levels  of peace and security, including by increasing opportunities for them to participate in relevant  intergovernmental deliberations at the United Nations. 

(b) Strengthen and implement existing youth, peace and security national and regional roadmaps,  and develop them where they do not exist, on a voluntary basis to deliver on our commitments.  

Action 21. We will address the challenges posed to international peace and security by adverse  climate and environmental impacts. 

39. The adverse impacts of climate change and environmental degradation can exacerbate social  tensions, instability and economic insecurity, increase humanitarian and socio-economic needs, and  in some cases, contribute to the onset or escalation of conflict. Countries affected by armed conflict  often lack the capacity, resources and resilience to address and respond to adverse climate and  environmental challenges. We decide to: 

(a) Ensure that relevant United Nations’ intergovernmental organs consider and address the  implications for international peace and security of climate change and other adverse environmental  impacts where relevant, including as part of the mandate of peace operations, as appropriate. 

(b) Urgently implement our respective commitments on climate change and the environment,  especially financial commitments to support developing countries adapt to climate change, and  support highly vulnerable countries and those affected by armed conflict build resilience. 

Action 22. We will adapt peace operations to better respond to existing challenges and new  realities. 

40. United Nations peace operations, including peacekeeping operations and special political  missions, are critical tools to maintain international peace and security. They face increasingly  complex challenges and urgently need to adapt, taking into account the needs of all Member States,  troop- and police-contributing countries, and the priorities and responsibilities of host countries.  Peace operations can only succeed when political solutions are actively pursued and they have  predictable, adequate and sustained financing. We reaffirm the importance of enforcement action authorized by the Security Council, to maintain or restore international peace and security. In this  regard, we support enhanced collaboration between the United Nations and regional and sub regional organizations, particularly the African Union. We decide to: 

(a) Call on the Security Council to ensure that peace operations are anchored in and guided by  political strategies, deployed with clear, sequenced and prioritized mandates that are realistic and  achievable, exit strategies and viable transition plans, and as part of a comprehensive approach to  sustaining peace in full compliance with international law. 

(b) Request the Secretary-General to undertake a review on the future of all forms of United Nations’  peace operations, taking into account lessons learned from previous and ongoing reform processes, and providing strategic and action-oriented recommendations for the consideration of Member  States on how the United Nations’ toolbox can be adapted to meet evolving needs, to allow for more  agile, tailored responses to existing, emerging and future challenges. 

(c) Ensure that peace operations engage at the earliest possible stage in transitions, including with  host countries, the United Nations country team, and relevant national stakeholders. 

(d) Take concrete steps to ensure the safety and security of the personnel of peace operations, and  improve their access to health facilities, including mental health services. 

(e) Ensure that enforcement actions are driven by an inclusive political strategy and other non-military  approaches and address the root causes of conflict. 

(f) Ensure adequate, predictable and sustainable financing for African Union-led peace support  operations mandated by the Security Council as recently agreed by the Security Council. 

Action 23. We will address the serious impact of threats to maritime security and safety.  

41. We recognize the need to address the serious impact of threats to maritime security and safety on  regional and international peace and security and to ensure that the world’s waterways are safe, open  for trade and enable all States to thrive. All efforts to address threats to maritime security and safety  must be carried out in accordance with international law, including the principles embodied in the  Charter of the United Nations and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,  recognizing the pre-eminent contribution provided by the Convention to the strengthening of peace,  security, cooperation and friendly relations among all nations, and taking into account other relevant  instruments that are consistent with the Convention. We decide to: 

(a) Enhance international cooperation at the global, regional, subregional and bilateral levels to  combat all threats to maritime security and safety, including threats to critical infrastructure and  disruptions to trade and economic activities and maritime interests, in accordance with international  law.  

(b) Explore options to develop new instruments, frameworks, and mechanisms to monitor, prevent  and respond to such threats, including through information sharing among States and capacity  building to detect, prevent and suppress such threats.  

Action 24. We will pursue a future free from terrorism. 

42. We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and we reaffirm that all  terrorist acts are criminal regardless of how their perpetrators may justify them. We highlight the  importance of putting measures in place to eliminate the dissemination of terrorist propaganda,  preventing and suppressing the flow of financing for terrorist activities, as well as recruitment  activities of terrorist organizations. We reaffirm that terrorism and violent extremism conducive to  terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, civilization, or ethnic group. The  promotion and the protection of international law, human rights for all and the rule of law are  essential to the fight against terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. We decide to:

(a) Implement a whole-of-society approach to counter terrorism and the prevention of violent  extremism conducive to terrorism, including by addressing the root causes of terrorism, in  accordance with international law. 

(b) Address the threat posed by the misuse of new and emerging technologies, including digital  technologies and financial instruments, for terrorist purposes. 

(c) Enhance coordination of the United Nations’ counter-terrorism efforts and cooperation between  the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organizations on counter-terrorism, while  considering revitalizing efforts towards the conclusion of a comprehensive convention on  international terrorism. 

Action 25. We will prevent and combat transnational organized crime and illicit financial flows. 

43. Transnational organized crime and related financial flows can pose a serious threat to  international peace and security, human rights and sustainable development, including through the  links that can exist between transnational organized crime and terrorist groups. We decide to: 

(a) Scale up efforts in addressing transnational organized crime and related financial flows through  comprehensive strategies, including prevention, early detection, protection and law enforcement,  tackling the root causes, and engagement with relevant stakeholders. 

(b) Strengthen international cooperation to prevent and combat cybercrime. 

Action 26. We will act to achieve the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. 

44. A nuclear war would visit devastation upon all mankind and could pose an existential threat to  humanity. We must make every effort to avert the danger of such a war and we therefore reaffirm that  a nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought. We reaffirm and recognize that the total  elimination of nuclear weapons is the only absolute guarantee against the use or threat of use of  nuclear weapons. We will uphold our respective binding obligations and international commitments  outlined in relevant treaties. In our effort to promote international stability, peace and security, we will  seek a safer world without nuclear weapons. We reiterate our deep concern over the slow pace of nuclear disarmament. We reaffirm the inalienable right of all countries to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination. We decide to: 

(a) Recommit to making progress towards the ultimate goal of the total elimination of nuclear  weapons in the context of general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international  control, including by reducing reliance on these weapons and avoiding a nuclear arms race.  

(b) Make every effort, especially the nuclear-weapon States, to ensure that nuclear weapons are  never used again, pending the total elimination of nuclear weapons, and to refrain from any  inflammatory rhetoric concerning the use of nuclear weapons. 

(c) Call upon the nuclear-weapon States, pending the total elimination of nuclear weapons, to honour  and respect all existing security assurances undertaken by them, including in connection with the  treaties and relevant protocols of nuclear weapon-free zones, and not to use or threaten to use  nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States. 

(d) Commit to strengthening the disarmament and non-proliferation architecture and work to prevent  any erosion of existing international norms and take all possible steps to prevent nuclear war. 

(e) Seek to accelerate through concrete actions the full and effective implementation of our existing, respective nuclear disarmament obligations and commitments, including by adhering to relevant  international legal instruments and through the pursuit of nuclear weapon free zones.  

Action 27. We will uphold our disarmament obligations and commitments. 

45. We express our serious concern at the increasing number of actions that erode international  norms and non-compliance with obligations in the field of disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation. We will respect international law that apply to weapons, means and methods of warfare,  and support progressive efforts to effectively regulate arms. We recognize the importance of  maintaining and strengthening the role of the United Nations’ disarmament machinery. We call for full  compliance with and implementation and universalization of relevant treaties established to  eliminate weapons of mass destruction. Any use of chemical and biological weapons by anyone,  anywhere, and under any circumstances is unacceptable. We reaffirm our shared determination to  exclude completely the possibility of biological agents and toxins being used as weapons and to  uphold relevant agreements in this regard. We decide to: 

(a) Revitalize the role of the United Nations in the field of disarmament, including by recommending  that the General Assembly hold a fourth special session devoted to disarmament (SSOD-IV). 

(b) Pursue a world free from chemical and biological weapons and ensure that those responsible for  any use of these weapons are identified and held accountable. 

(c) Address emerging and evolving biological risks through improving processes to anticipate, prevent,  coordinate and prepare for such risks, whether caused by natural, accidental or deliberate release of  biological agents. 

(d) Identify, examine and develop effective measures, including possible legally-binding measures, to  strengthen and institutionalise international norms and instruments against the development,  production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling, retention, and use of biological agents and toxins as  weapons.  

(e) Strengthen measures to prevent the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by non-State  actors. 

(f) Redouble our efforts to achieve universality and implement our respective obligations under  relevant international instruments to prohibit or restrict weapons due to their humanitarian impact  and take steps to promote all aspects of mine action. 

(g) Strengthen our efforts to combat, prevent and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light  weapons in all its aspects.  

(h) Address existing gaps in through-life conventional ammunition management to reduce the dual  risks of unplanned conventional ammunition explosions and the diversion and illicit trafficking of  conventional ammunition to unauthorized recipients, including to criminals, organized criminal  groups and terrorists. 

Action 28. We will address the potential risks and seize the opportunities associated with new  and emerging technologies. 

46. We recognize that rapid technological change presents risks and opportunities to our collective  efforts to maintain international peace and security. The Charter and international law will guide our  approach to addressing these risks. We decide to: 

(a) Advance discussions to prevent an arms race in outer space in all its aspects, which engage all  relevant stakeholders, consistent with the provisions of the Treaty on Principles Governing the  Activities of States in Outer Space, with a view to agreeing potential political commitments and  legally-binding instruments with appropriate and effective provisions for verification. 

(b) Advance with urgency discussions on lethal autonomous weapons systems through the existing  intergovernmental process to develop an instrument, and other possible measures, including to  address the risks posed by lethal autonomous weapons systems that select targets and apply force  without human control or oversight and cannot be used in compliance with international  humanitarian law. 

(c) Request the Secretary-General to update Member States on new and emerging technologies,  including nanotechnology and human enhancement technology and their implications for international peace and security in order to support Member States’ future consideration of these  issues. 

Action 29. We will address the potential risks posed by the misuse of digital technologies,  including information and communication technologies and artificial intelligence. 

47. We are concerned about the potential risks to international peace and security posed by the  misuse of digital technologies, including information and communications technologies and artificial  intelligence. We decide to: 

(a) Uphold international law, including the Charter, as well as implement agreed norms, rules and  principles of responsible State behavior in the use of information communications technologies (ICTs). 

(b) Ensure that no State conducts or knowingly supports ICT activity contrary to its obligations under  international law that intentionally damages critical infrastructure or otherwise impairs the use and  operation of critical infrastructure that supports the delivery of essential public services.  

(c) Enhance international cooperation and assistance to address potential threats arising from  misuse of digital technologies through capacity building with a view to closing the digital divide  between developed and developing countries. 

(d) Identify and address the risks associated with the military applications of artificial intelligence and  ways to harness the opportunities throughout their lifecycle, in consultation with relevant  stakeholders.  

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND INNOVATION AND DIGITAL COOPERATION 

48. Science, technology and innovation have the potential to accelerate the realization of the United  Nations’ aspirations across all three pillars of its work. We will only realize this potential through  international cooperation to harness the benefits and take bold ambitious and decisive steps to  bridge the growing divide within and between developed and developing countries and accelerate  progress on the 2030 Agenda. Too many people in our world, especially in developing countries, do  not have meaningful access to critical life-changing technologies. If we are to make good on our  promise to leave no one behind, science, technology and innovation cannot be the preserve of the  few. Innovations and scientific breakthrough that can make our planet more sustainable and our  countries more prosperous and resilient should be affordable and accessible to all. 

49. At the same time, we must responsibly manage the potential risks posed by science and  technology, in particular the ways in which science, technology and innovation can perpetuate and  deepen divides, in particular gender divides, and patterns of discrimination and inequality within and  between countries and adversely impact human rights. We will deepen our partnerships with relevant  stakeholders, especially the international financial institutions, the private sector, the technical and  academic communities, and civil society, and we will ensure science, technology and innovation is a  catalyst for a more equitable, sustainable, and prosperous world for all, in which all human rights are  fully respected. 

50. Digital and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, play a significant role as  enablers of sustainable development and are dramatically changing our world. They offer huge  potential for progress for the benefit of people and planet today and in the future. We are determined  to realize this potential and manage the risks through enhanced international cooperation by  promoting an inclusive, responsible and sustainable digital future. We have annexed a Global Digital  Compact to this Pact in this regard. 

Action 30. We will seize the opportunities presented by science, technology and innovation for  the benefit of people and planet.

51. We will be guided by the principles of equity and solidarity, and promote the responsible and  ethical use of science, technology and innovation. We decide to: 

(a) Foster and promote an open, fair, and inclusive environment for scientific and technological  development and cooperation worldwide, including through actively building trust in science. 

(b) Increase the use of science, scientific knowledge and scientific evidence in policy-making and  ensure that complex global challenges are addressed through multi- and transdisciplinary  collaboration.  

(c) Encourage talent mobility and circulation, including through educational programs, and support  developing countries to retain talent and prevent a brain drain while providing suitable educational  and working conditions and opportunities for the workforce. 

Action 31. We will scale up the means of implementation to developing countries to strengthen  their science, technology and innovation capacities. 

52. Science, technology and innovation are critical to support sustainable growth and accelerate the  implementation of the 2030 Agenda. It is imperative that we collaborate to bridge the science,  technology and innovation gap within and between developed and developing countries, to support  developing countries to harness science, technology and innovation to achieve sustainable  development, particularly those in special situations. We reiterate the need to accelerate the transfer  of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on  concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed. We decide to: 

(a) Ensure science, technology and innovation contributes to our efforts to eradicate poverty in all its  forms and dimensions and hunger, and to reduce inequalities, in addition to areas such as of food  security and nutrition, health, education, social protection water and sanitation, energy, climate and  environment. 

(b) Increase capacity building efforts, in particular by developed countries and those developing  countries in a position to do so, in science, technology and innovation. 

(c) Support the development, deployment and sustainable use of emerging and open source technologies and support policies towards open science and open innovation and know-how for the  achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially by developing countries. 

(d) Strengthen North-South cooperation, South-South and triangular cooperation to build capacity for  and improve access to science, technology and innovation, and to increase resources for the  implementation of technical and scientific initiatives. 

(e) Scale up financing from all sources for scientific research and research infrastructure that  supports sustainable development and increase opportunities for research cooperation, especially in  developing countries. 

(f) Attract and support private sector investment in science, technology and innovation, and deepen  public-private partnerships by fostering a conducive environment in developing countries that  encourages investment and entrepreneurship and promotes decent work, and by ensuring that  innovation can reach global markets. 

(g) Promote resilient, and stable global supply chains and make scientific and technological products  and services more accessible to all. 

Action 32. We will uphold intellectual property rights to support developing countries achieve  sustainable development. 

53. We recognize the importance of intellectual property rights to progress on science, technology  and innovation. We decide to:

(a) Protect and enforce intellectual property rights to promote technological innovation, build trust  and contribute to the transfer and dissemination of technology on mutually agreed terms.  

(b) Uphold the agreements enshrined in relevant international legal obligations related to trade and  intellectual property rights, including the right of Member States to use the flexibilities contained  therein, to facilitate access for developing countries to scientific and technological innovations. 

Action 33. We will ensure that science, technology and innovation contribute to the full  enjoyment of human rights by all. 

54. We recognize the opportunities and risks presented by science, technology and innovation to  promoting, protecting and fulfilling all human rights, including the right to development. We decide to: 

(a) Ensure that all scientific and technological research is conducted in a responsible and ethical  manner that protects and promotes all human rights, and protects the autonomy, freedom and safety  of scientific researchers. 

(b) Integrate a human rights perspective into regulatory and norm-setting processes for new and  emerging technologies and call on the private sector to respect human rights and uphold ethical  principles in the development and use of new technologies. 

(c) Ensure that people in vulnerable situations benefit from and fully and meaningfully participate in  the development and application of science, technology and innovation. 

(d) Seize on opportunities provided by new and emerging technologies to empower and advance  equity for persons with disabilities. 

Action 34. We will ensure that science, technology and innovation improve gender equality and  the lives of all women and girls. 

55. Science, technology and innovation can improve gender equality and women’s and girls’ lives. We  are gravely concerned about the gender digital divide and that rapid technological change can  exacerbate existing gender inequalities and present serious risks to all women and girls. We decide to: 

(a) Address barriers to full equal and meaningful access to and participation and leadership in  science, technology and innovation for all women and girls, including through improving education,  employment and research opportunities for women and girls in science, technology, innovation, mathematics and engineering. 

(b) Address gender-related risks and challenges emerging from the use of technologies, including all  forms of gender-based violence, trafficking in persons, harassment, bias and discrimination against  all women and girls that occur through, or are amplified by, the use of technology. 

Action 35. We will protect, build on and complement indigenous, traditional and local  knowledge. 

56. We recognize the need for science, technology and innovation to be adapted and made relevant  to local needs and circumstances, including Indigenous Peoples, local communities and traditional  afro-descendant populations. We decide to: 

(a) Foster synergies between science and technology and traditional, local, afro-descendant and  indigenous knowledge, systems, practices and capacities.  

Action 36. We will support the Secretary-General to strengthen the United Nations’ role in  science, technology and innovation. 

57. We recognize the important role of the United Nations in science, technology and innovation. We  take note of the establishment of the Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board to provide  independent scientific advice. We request the Secretary-General to:

(a) Strengthen the United Nations’ capacities to leverage science, technology and innovation in the  work of the Organization, including futures thinking and foresight, and to monitor and measure  ongoing global progress to bridge the science and technology gap within and between developed and  developing countries. 

(b) Support national governments to leverage science and technology for sustainable development,  including by strengthening the capacity and expertise of United Nations Country Teams. 

YOUTH AND FUTURE GENERATIONS 

58. Today’s generation of children and young people is the largest in history, with most of them living  in developing countries. They are critical agents of positive change and we welcome their important  contributions to sustainable development, human rights and peace and security. However, across  our world, millions of children and young people are deprived of the conditions they need to reach  their full potential and fulfil their human rights, especially those in vulnerable situations. Children and  young people continue to live in extreme poverty, without access to critical, basic services. We  recognize that, together with future generations, they will live with the consequences of our actions  and our inaction. We commit to transformative levels of investment in, and engagement by, young  people at national and international levels to secure a better future for all. 

59. We recognize that children and youth are a distinct group from future generations. We must  ensure that decision-making and policy-making today takes greater account of the needs and  interests of the generations to come, and balanced with the needs and interests of current  generations. We have annexed a Declaration on Future Generations to the Pact for the Future that  details our commitments in this regard. 

Action 37. We will invest in the social and economic development of children and young people  so they can reach their full potential. 

60. We stress the importance of investing in, and ensuring equitable access to, essential social  services for children and young people, especially health, education and social protection, to  advance their social and economic development. To fulfil their full potential and secure decent,  productive work and quality employment, young people must have access to quality education  opportunities, including in emergencies, throughout their lives that equip them with the knowledge,  skills and values they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. We decide to: 

(a) Scale up investment from all sources in essential social services for young people and ensure that  their specific needs and priorities are reflected in national, regional and international development  strategies, ensure that services are accessible to all young persons and request the Secretary General establish a Global Youth Investment platform to attract and better finance youth-related  programming at the country level. 

(b) Accelerate efforts to ensure all young people enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and  mental health, access to universal health coverage, including sexual and reproductive health, and  address all the challenges faced by developing countries to achieving these goals. 

(c) Support developing countries to significantly increase investment from all sources in education  and skills, especially early childhood and girls education and skills, to build inclusive, accessible and  resilient education systems and life-long learning societies that are tailored to the needs of young  people today and in the future by enhancing curricula, improving teachers’ professional development,  harnessing digital technologies and improving access to technical and vocational training to help  young people contribute to their societies. 

(d) Create sustainable jobs and decent livelihoods for youth, especially in developing countries and  particularly for young women and young people in vulnerable situations, and establish and ensure  young people’s access to universal, adequate, comprehensive, sustainable and nationally appropriate social protection systems.

(e) Empower, encourage and support young people to pursue entrepreneurship and innovation and  transform their ideas into viable business opportunities. 

Action 38. We will promote, protect and respect the human rights of all young people and foster  social inclusion and integration. 

61. We reaffirm the importance of ensuring the full enjoyment of the rights of all young persons,  protect them from violence, and foster social inclusion and integration especially the poorest, those  in vulnerable situations and those facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. We decide to: 

(a) Fight and eradicate all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and all forms of  intolerance that impact young people and hinder their ability to fulfil their potential, and counter  religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence and promote  human security. 

(b) Intensify international, regional, and national efforts to take immediate and effective measures to  eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and eliminate all forms of child  labor. 

(c) Address the challenges faced by all young women and girls, including by combating negative  gender stereotypes and negative social norms and eliminating discrimination, all forms of violence,  and harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and child marriage. 

(d) Enhance inclusion and eliminate all barriers that hinder young persons with disabilities to attain  and maintain maximum autonomy, independence and full inclusion and participation in all aspects of  life and invest in assistive technologies that can promote their full, equal and meaningful  participation in society. 

(e) Address the adverse impact of climate change and other environmental challenges that constitute  threats to the ability of young persons to enjoy all human rights, in particular the right to a clean and  healthy environment. 

(f) Strengthen intergenerational partnerships and solidarity among generations by promoting  opportunities for voluntary, constructive and regular interaction between young people and older  generations in the family, in the workplace and in society-at-large. 

Action 39. We will strengthen meaningful youth participation at the national level. 

62. We commend the important contributions that young people are already making to the  advancement of human rights, sustainable development and peace and security in their own  countries. We can only meet the needs and aspirations of all young people if we systematically listen  to them, work with them, and provide them with meaningful opportunities to shape the future. We  decide to: 

(a) Encourage and support the establishment of mechanisms at the national level, where they do not  exist, to consult with young people and provide them with meaningful opportunities to engage in  national policymaking and decision-making processes supported, upon request, by the United  Nations system. 

(b) Consider establishing intergenerational dialogues to build stronger partnerships between  individuals of different age groups, including youth, and between governments and youth. 

(c) Address the challenges and remove the barriers that prevent full, meaningful and equal  participation of all youth, including for young women, youth with disabilities, and other individuals or  groups in vulnerable situations in national policy and decision-making, and improve the  representation of young people in formal political structures, especially young women. 

(d) Provide accessible and transparent funding and capacity-building support for youth-led and  youth-focused organizations.

Action 40. We will strengthen meaningful youth participation at the international level. 

63. We welcome the progress made in promoting the meaningful engagement of youth in the United  Nations. We are determined to accelerate this work by ensuring more youth engagement in  intergovernmental processes and across the work of the United Nations system, and by increasing  the representativeness, effectiveness and impact of youth engagement at the United Nations. We  decide to: 

(a) Ensure meaningful, inclusive and effective engagement of young people in United Nations relevant intergovernmental bodies and processes, taking into account the principles of equitable gender and  geographical representation and non-discrimination. 

(b) Encourage the inclusion of youth, including youth delegates, in national delegations at  intergovernmental discussions in the General Assembly and its subsidiary bodies, the Economic and  Social Council and its subsidiary bodies, the Security Council and United Nations conferences. 

(c) Revitalize and raise awareness of the United Nations Youth Fund and encourage contributions to  boost the participation of youth representatives from developing countries in the activities of the  United Nations. 

(d) Request the Secretary-General to continue to develop core principles for meaningful,  representative, inclusive and safe youth engagement in relevant intergovernmental processes and  across the work of the United Nations, for the consideration of Member States. 5. 

TRANSFORMING GLOBAL GOVERNANCE 

64. Today, our multilateral system, constructed in the aftermath of Second World War, is under  unprecedented strain. It has had remarkable achievements in the past eighty years. But we are not  complacent about the future of our international order, and we know it cannot stand still. Without  strengthened and reinvigorated multilateralism, greater international cooperation, and an unwavering  commitment to the Charter and international law, global challenges could overwhelm and threaten  all of humanity. A transformation in global governance is essential to ensure that the positive progress  we have seen across all three pillars of the United Nations’ work in recent decades does not unravel.  We will not allow this to happen. 

65. We must renew trust in global institutions by making them more representative of today’s world  and more effective at delivering on the commitments that we have made to one another and our  people. We renew our commitment to multilateralism, international cooperation, guided by the  principles of trust, equity, solidarity and universality. We will transform global governance and  strengthen the multilateral system to help us achieve a world that is safe, peaceful, just, equal,  inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous. 

Action 41. We will transform global governance and reinvigorate the multilateral system to  tackle the challenges, and seize the opportunities, of today and tomorrow. 

66. We resolve to make the multilateral system, with the United Nations at its centre, more: 

(a) Effective and capable of delivering on our promises, with strengthened accountability and  implementation mechanisms to ensure our commitments are met and to rebuild trust in global  institutions. 

(b) Prepared for the future, building capabilities and harnessing technology and data to anticipate  risks, seize opportunities, act early and manage uncertainty. 

(c) Just, democratic, equitable and representative of today’s world to ensure that all Member States  can meaningfully participate in global decision-making in multilateral institutions, especially  developing countries, including through multilingualism, gender parity and balanced geographic  representation.

(d) Inclusive, to allow for the meaningful participation of relevant stakeholders, while reaffirming the  intergovernmental character of the United Nations and the unique and central role of States in  meeting global challenges. 

(e) Interconnected, to ensure that the multilateral system can draw together existing institutional  capacities, work better as a system, overcome fragmentation and comprehensively address  multidimensional, multisectoral challenges, while maximizing efficiencies. 

(f) Financially stable, by ensuring adequate, sustainable and predictable financing for the United  Nations, and to that end we commit to meet our financial obligations in full, on time and without  conditions. 

[Action 42: Reform of the Security Council] 

[Cofacilitators’ Note: It is clear from Member State and stakeholder inputs that reform of the Security  Council remains a priority for the Summit of the Future, and we are committed to achieving an  ambitious outcome in the Pact for the Future. We will present language on this issue as soon as  possible in light of ongoing deliberations in other UN fora.] 

Action 43. We will increase our efforts to revitalize the work of the General Assembly. 

67. We reaffirm the central position of the General Assembly as the chief deliberative, policymaking  and representative organ of the United Nations. We decide to: 

(a) Further enhance and make full use of the role and authority of the General Assembly to address  evolving global challenges, in full compliance with the Charter. 

(b) Enhance ways in which the General Assembly can contribute to the maintenance of international  peace and security and further strengthen its coordination with the Security Council, in particular by taking action, including preventive actions, to maintain international peace and security. 

(c) Ensure that the selection and appointment process of the Secretary-General is guided by the  principles of merit, transparency, inclusiveness and regional rotation and take into account during the  next, and in subsequent, selection and appointment processes the regrettable fact that there has  never been a woman Secretary-General. 

Action 44. We will strengthen the Economic and Social Council to accelerate the achievement of  the 2030 Agenda. 

68. We commit to strengthening the work of the Economic and Social Council as a principal organ for  coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on across all three dimensions of  sustainable development and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. We decide to: 

(a) Continue to strengthen cooperation between the Economic and Social Council and both the  Security Council and Peacebuilding Commission in accordance with their respective mandates, and  between the Economic and Social Council and the international financial institutions. 

(b) Facilitate more structured, meaningful and inclusive engagement of non-governmental  organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council in the activities of the  Council. 

(c) Support the Council’s youth forum to enhance youth engagement throughout the Council’s cycle,  ensuring that the forum is a platform for youth from across all regions to continue to share their ideas  and engage in dialogue with Member States. 

(d) Explore options to revitalize the Commission on the Status of Women to ensure that the  Commission is fit for purpose. 

Action 45. We will strengthen the Peacebuilding Commission.

69. We affirm our commitment to strengthening the Peacebuilding Commission through the 2025  review of the peacebuilding architecture to bring a more strategic approach and greater coherence  and impact to national and international peacebuilding efforts. We decide to: 

(a) Enhance the role of the Commission as a platform for building and sustaining peace, including  through sharing good practices among Member States and mobilizing political and financial support  for national prevention and peacebuilding efforts, in particular to avoid possible relapse into conflict. 

(b) Make greater use of the Commission to support Member States progress their nationally-owned  peacebuilding and prevention efforts, and strengthen the Commission’s advisory, bridging and  convening role, and facilitate the inclusion of stakeholders’ perspectives on peacebuilding, including  through dialogue with civil society actors, in accordance with the Commission’s mandate. 

(c) Establish more systematic and strategic partnerships between the Commission and international,  regional and sub-regional organizations, including the international financial institutions, to  strengthen peacebuilding efforts and to mobilize financing for sustaining peace and to help align  national development, peacebuilding and prevention approaches. 

(d) Ensure the Commission plays a vital support role to countries during and after the transition of a  peace operation, in cooperation with the Security Council and supported by United Nations Country  Teams, upon the request of the country concerned. 

Action 46. We will strengthen the United Nations system. 

70. We underline the importance of the United Nations system remaining effective, efficient and  impactful. We decide to: 

(a) Support the Secretary-General to achieve a more agile, responsive and resilient United Nations,  including through implementing the UN 2.0 vision of enhancing the Organization’s capabilities in  innovation, data analytics, digital transformation, strategic foresight and behavioral science to better  support Member States and deliver on its mandates. 

(b) Strengthen the United Nations development system, including the Resident Coordinator system,  to make it more strategic, responsive, collaborative and integrated in supporting developing countries  achieve the 2030 Agenda and address new and emerging challenges, in line with nationally-owned  plans, through sustainable and predictable funding. 

(c) Ensure accessibility and disability inclusion at the United Nations to allow for the full, meaningful  and effective participation and equality of persons with disabilities in all aspects of the United  Nations’ work. 

(d) Ensure the transparent and inclusive selection process of United Nations’ executive heads and  senior positions, taking into account the principles of equitable geographical representation and  gender balance and adhere to the general rule that there should be no monopoly on senior posts in  the United Nations system by nationals of any State or group of States. 

Action 47. We will strengthen the United Nations’ human rights pillar to ensure the effective  enjoyment by all of all human rights and respond to new and emerging challenges. 

71. Following the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the  thirtieth anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, we remain committed to  actively promoting and protecting all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including civil,  political, economic, social and cultural rights. This includes the right to development. We recommit  to realize our respective obligations to respect, protect and fulfill human rights and to implement all  relevant international human rights instruments. All human rights are universal, indivisible,  interdependent and interrelated, and the Sustainable Development Goals both depend on the  protection of and seek to achieve all human rights. Human rights defenders must be protected from  any form of intimidation and reprisals, both online and offline. We must continue to uphold human rights in the future by strengthening our capabilities to respond to new and emerging domains in human rights. We decide to: 

(a) Strengthen the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and United  Nations human rights mechanisms to enable them to effectively carry out their mandates to respond  to the broad range of human rights challenges facing the international community, including new and  emerging challenges in the future, with impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity. 

(b) Request the Secretary-General to provide proposals for adequate, sustainable and predictable  financing of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and United  Nations’ human rights mechanisms, with the aim of steadily and significantly increasing the resources, including from the regular budget, for the efficient and effective execution of their mandates. 

(c) Enhance coordination and cooperation among United Nations entities working on human rights  and avoid duplication of activities, including through closer coordination with the Office of the United  Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

Action 48. We will accelerate reform of the international financial architecture to address the  challenges of today and tomorrow. 

72. Reform of the international financial architecture is an important step towards building greater  trust in the multilateral system. We commend ongoing reform efforts and call for even more urgent  and ambitious action to ensure that the international financial architecture becomes more efficient,  more equitable, fit for the world of today and responsive to the financing needs of developing  countries. The reform of the international financial architecture must place the 2030 Agenda at its  centre, with an unwavering commitment to investing in the eradication of poverty in all its forms and  dimensions. We decide to: 

(a) Continue to pursue deeper reforms of the international financial architecture to turbocharge  implementation of the 2030 Agenda and achieve a more inclusive, just, peaceful, resilient and  sustainable world for people and planet, for present and future generations. 

Action 49. We will accelerate reform of the governance of the international financial  architecture to address existing inequities so that it is representative of today’s world. 

73. We acknowledge the important role of the United Nations in global economic governance, while  fully respecting existing governance mechanisms and mandates independent of the United Nations  that preside over specific organizations and rules. We welcome the initiative to convene a Biennial  Summit at the level of Heads of State and Government to strengthen existing and establish more  systematic links and coordination between the United Nations and the international financial  institutions, and we stress the importance of inclusive participation. We recognize the importance of  continuing to pursue governance reforms at the international financial institutions and multilateral  development banks, especially the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, to strengthen  trust, improve access to financing and enhance the representation of developing countries, including  in leadership positions. In addition to changes to quotas and voting power, we welcome other steps to  improve the voice and representation of developing countries, such as the creation of a twenty-fifth  chair on the IMF Executive Board for sub-Saharan Africa. We decide to: 

(a) Call on the board of the IMF to take further steps to enhance the representation and voice of  developing countries to better reflect the current global economy and to help the IMF deliver its  mandate more effectively.  

(b) Call on the Executive Boards of the World Bank and other multilateral development banks to  ensure robust representation and voice of developing countries.

Action 50. We will accelerate reform of the international financial architecture to mobilize  adequate financing to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, respond to the needs of  developing countries and direct financing to those most in need. 

74. We are deeply concerned that, at this critical moment, developing countries lack access to  adequate financing from all sources to achieve the SDGs. Flows of capital to developing countries are  falling, and more capital is leaving countries than is coming in. Multilateral development banks play a  vital role in supporting sustainable development and the achievement of the SDGs and are critical to  increasing countries’ access to affordable finance and helping to unlock private sector investment.  We welcome ongoing reform efforts of the multilateral development banks to mobilize adequate  financing for the 2030 Agenda, recognizing that further reforms of the Banks are urgently needed, in  addition to the strengthening of domestic resource mobilization, and the domestic policy and  regulatory environment. We decide to: 

(a) Deliver a robust twenty-first replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA),  including contributions from both new and existing donors that significantly increase IDA’s resources,  and establish a clear pathway to larger IDA funding by 2030. 

(b) Call upon multilateral development banks to accelerate the pace of reforms to their missions and  visions, incentive structures, operational approaches, and financial capacity to consider more  ambitious steps to increase the availability of finance to developing countries and to better address  global challenges. 

(c) Call upon the boards and management of multilateral development banks to unlock additional  finance from their own balance sheets by fully implementing the relevant recommendations from the  G20 Independent Review of Multilateral Development Banks’ Capital Adequacy Frameworks by the  end of 2026, including leveraging callable capital and issuing hybrid capital at scale. 

(d) Call on the boards of multilateral development banks to schedule general capital increases and  consider further general capital increases in the future, while recognizing recent capital  contributions. 

(e) Call upon the international financial institutions, in partnership with the Secretary-General, to  present options and recommendations on new methodologies to improve access to concessional  finance for developing countries. 

Action 51. We will accelerate the reform of the international financial architecture to ensure  countries can borrow sustainably to invest in their long-term development. 

75. Borrowing is vital for countries to invest in their long-term development. Countries must be able to  borrow with confidence, sustainably, and have access to affordable credit, while ensuring full  transparency. We are alarmed by the emergence of high and unsustainable debt burdens in many developing countries, the constraint this imposes on development progress, and the weakness of  safeguards to prevent these situations from occurring. We underline the importance of reforms to  existing multilateral processes to facilitate collective action to prevent debt crises, facilitate debt  restructuring and debt relief, when appropriate, taking into account evolving trends in the global debt  landscape. We decide to: 

(a) Strengthen the multilateral response to support countries with high and unsustainable debt  burdens, with the meaningful participation of the countries concerned, ensuring an approach that is  more effective, comprehensive, coordinated, systematic, transparent and timely to enable those  countries to escape debt overhang and prioritize government expenditure on the achievement of the  Sustainable Development Goals. 

(b) Invite the IMF, in collaboration with the Secretary-General, the World Bank, the Group of 20 and  major bilateral creditors, to initiate a review of the sovereign debt architecture building on existing  international processes, including proposals for establishing effective, efficient, equitable and comprehensive multilateral debt mechanisms, an assessment of the implementation of the  principles of responsible lending and borrowing, and proposals to improve transparency, and upgrade  tools for debt sustainability analysis.  

(c) Request the Secretary-General to engage with credit rating agencies to explore options to improve  developing countries’ access to credit in a sustainable way and enhance ratings’ contribution to the  achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

(d) Improve and continue to implement the G20’s Common Framework for Debt Treatments to enable  effective, predictable, coordinated, timely and orderly restructuring processes and encourage steps  to ensure comparability of treatment of sovereign and private creditors, including through respective  national legislation. 

(e) Promote, where appropriate, the use of state-contingent clauses in all lending, including climate resilient debt clauses when lending to countries vulnerable to the adverse impact of climate change. 

Action 52. We will accelerate the reform of the international financial architecture so that it  shields countries equitably during systemic shocks and makes the financial system more  stable. 

76. The growing frequency and intensity of global economic shocks has set back progress on the  achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. We recognize the role of Special Drawing Rights  (SDRs) in strengthening the global financial safety net in a world prone to systemic shocks, and their  potential contribution to greater global financial stability. We welcome that over $100 billion worth of  SDRs are being innovatively and successfully channeled to developing countries. We decide to: 

(a) Call on countries to continue to explore options to voluntarily rechannel at least fifty percent of  SDRs from the 2021 issuance, including through multilateral development banks, while respecting  relevant legal frameworks and preserving the reserve asset character of Special Drawing Rights. 

(b) Call upon the IMF to explore all options to continue to strengthen the global financial safety net to  support developing countries to better respond to macroeconomic shocks, including by exploring  ways to make rapid issuances of Special Drawing Rights and enable prompt, voluntary rechanneling  to developing countries during future financial crises and systemic shocks. 

(c) Encourage the IMF to revise its surcharge policy. 

(d) Promote financial stability through international cooperation on, and consistent regulation of,  banks and other financial service entities. 

Action 53. We will accelerate the reform of the international financial architecture so that it can  meet the challenge of climate change. 

77. Climate change exacerbates many of the challenges facing the international financial architecture  and can undermine progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Countries should not have  to decide between pursuing development and addressing climate change, and finance for climate  change should not come at the expense of assistance for other critical development needs, including  poverty eradication, and promoting sustainable, inclusive, resilient economic growth. The  international financial architecture must drive financing towards both climate action and sustainable  development. Investment in sustainable development and climate action are both essential,  interlinked and mutually reinforcing. Countries face increasing financing needs, especially those  vulnerable to climate-related shocks, leading to a growing demand for concessional finance. We  decide to: 

(a) Call on Multilateral Development Banks to increase the quality, quantity, accessibility and impact  of climate and environmental finance, particularly to developing countries most vulnerable to adverse  climate impacts, while safeguarding the additionality of climate finance, including adaptation finance and support to deploy and develop renewable and energy-efficiency technologies in line with existing  commitments. 

(b) Call on international financial institutions and other relevant entities to improve the assessment  and management of climate-related financial risks and support steps to address the high cost of  capital, working closely with developing countries. 

(c) Ensure that the private sector, especially large corporations, contributes to sustainability and  protecting our planet, including through strengthening reporting procedures, establishing  accountability mechanisms for environmental damage caused by their activities and making ratings  of investment products more credible. 

Action 54. We will develop a framework on measures of progress on sustainable development to  complement and go beyond gross domestic product. 

78. We recognize that sustainable development must be pursued in a balanced and integrated  manner. We reaffirm the need to urgently develop measures of progress on sustainable development  that complement or go beyond GDP. These measures should reflect progress on the economic, social  and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. We decide to: 

(a) Request the Secretary General to establish an independent high-level expert group to develop  recommendations for a limited number of country-owned and universally applicable indicators of  sustainable development that complement and go beyond GDP, in close consultation with Member  States and relevant stakeholders, taking into account the work of the Statistical Commission,  building on the Global Indicators Framework for SDGs and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable  Development and to present the outcome of its work during the eightieth session of the General  Assembly. 

(b) Initiate a United Nations-led intergovernmental process in consultation with relevant  stakeholders, including the UN Statistical Commission, international financial institutions,  multilateral development banks and regional commissions, in line with their respective mandates, on  measures of progress on sustainable development that complement or go beyond gross domestic  product, considering the recommendations of the Secretary-General’s high-level expert group. 

Action 55. We will strengthen the international response to complex global shocks. 

79. We recognize the need for a more coherent, cooperative, coordinated and multidimensional  international response to complex global shocks and the central role of the United Nations in this  regard. Complex global shocks are events that have severely disruptive and adverse consequences  for a significant proportion of countries and the global population, and that lead to impacts across  multiple sectors, requiring a multidimensional multistakeholder, and whole-of-society response.  They have a disproportionate impact on the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world and  usually have disastrous consequences for sustainable development and prosperity. The principles of  national ownership and consent, equity, solidarity and partnership will guide our future responses to  complex global shocks, with full respect for international law and the Charter, including its purposes  and principles, and existing mandates for United Nations intergovernmental bodies and processes,  United Nations’ system entities, and specialized agencies. We will uphold the Secretary-General’s  role to, inter alia, convene Member States, coordinate the whole multilateral system, and engage with  relevant stakeholders in response to crises. We request the Secretary-General to: 

(a) Develop, in consultation with Member States, protocols for convening and operationalizing  emergency platforms based on flexible approaches to respond to a range of different complex global  shocks, including criteria for triggering and phasing out emergency platforms, ensuring that  emergency platforms are convened for a finite period and will not be a standing institution or entity. 

(b) Ensure that the convening of emergency platforms supports and complements the response of  United Nations’ principal organs, relevant United Nations entities and specialized agencies mandated to respond to crises, and that it will not affect or interfere with the mandated role of any United  Nations’ system entities, specialized agencies, intergovernmental body or duplicate ongoing  intergovernmental processes, including the mandated role of the Security Council in the  maintenance of international peace and security. 

Action 56. We will strengthen the implementation of and compliance with multilateral  environmental agreements to deliver on our ambition to protect our planet. 

80. We recognize the critical importance of tackling global environmental challenges to the future  well-being of people and planet and the need to implement existing multilateral environmental  agreements. We decide to: 

(a) Explore options in the United Nations Environment Assembly to accelerate the implementation of  and strengthen compliance with all multilateral environmental agreements to address global  environmental challenges. 

Action 57. We will strengthen our partnerships to deliver on existing commitments and address  new and emerging challenges. 

81. We recognize the importance of strengthening the United Nations’ engagement with national  parliaments and relevant stakeholders, while preserving the intergovernmental character of the  Organization. We decide to: 

(a) Ensure that relevant stakeholders can meaningfully participate in relevant United Nations’  processes and that Member States have access to the views and expertise of partners on a  systematic basis. 

(b) Leverage existing and establish new channels of continuous and open communication between  United Nations intergovernmental bodies and civil society, allowing for ongoing dialogue, exchange of  information and collaboration beyond formal meetings.  

(c) Encourage the private sector’s contribution to addressing global challenges and strengthen their  accountability towards the implementation of the agreed frameworks of the United Nations. 

(d) Deepen United Nations’ engagement with national parliaments in United Nations  intergovernmental bodies and processes.  

(e) Strengthen the engagement of local and regional authorities in United Nations intergovernmental  bodies and processes and request the Secretary-General to provide recommendations on this matter  by the end of the seventy-ninth session for Member States’ consideration, including on how  engagement with local and regional authorities can contribute to the localization of the Sustainable  Development Goals. 

(f) Enhance cooperation between the United Nations and regional, sub-regional and other  organizations, which will be critical to maintaining international peace and security, promoting and  protecting human rights, and achieving sustainable development. 

Action 58. We will strengthen the governance of outer space to foster its peaceful, safe, and  sustainable uses for the benefit of all humanity. 

82. The exploration and use of Outer Space for peaceful purposes is identified by international law as  a province of all humankind. Humanity’s reliance on space is increasing day-by-day and we need  global governance to be implemented. We are living through an age of increased access and activities in outer space. The growth in the number of objects in outer space, the increasing role of the private  sector, the return of humans to deep space, and our expanding reliance on outer space systems  demands urgent action. Safe and sustainable use of space is critical to the achievement of Agenda  2030. The opportunities for people and planet are enormous, but there are also risks that must be  managed. We decide to:

(a) Implement existing global governance and establish new frameworks for space traffic, space  debris, and space resources through the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. 

(b) Invite the engagement of relevant private sector, civil society, and other relevant stakeholders,  where appropriate, to inform intergovernmental processes related to the increased safety and  sustainability of outer space.

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Zero draft of the Pact (26 January 2024)  

Chapeau 

1. We, the Heads of State and Government, representing the peoples of the world, have  gathered at United Nations Headquarters to take action to safeguard the future for present and  coming generations. 

2. We are at a moment of acute global peril. Across our world, people are suffering from the  effects of poverty, hunger, inequality, armed conflicts, violence, displacement, terrorism,  climate change, disease, and the adverse impacts of technology. Humanity faces a range of  potentially catastrophic and existential risks. We are also at a moment of opportunity, where  advances in knowledge and technology, properly managed, could deliver a better future for all. 

3. The challenges we face far exceed the capacity of any single State to manage alone. Left  unaddressed, the risks threaten the well-being of present and future generations and the  welfare of our planet, while the advances may benefit only a few.  

4. We recognize that challenges such as these can only be addressed through strong and  sustained international cooperation. To enhance our cooperation, we need a multilateral  system that is fit for the future, ready to address the political, economic, environmental and  technological changes in the world, and with the agility to adapt to an uncertain future. We  know that multilateral institutions – especially the Security Council and the international  financial architecture – have struggled to address the scale of the challenges they face and live  up to the world’s expectations of them. Too often, international commitments that are made,  remain unfulfilled.  

5. We believe there is a path to a better future for all of humanity. We are committed to  meaningful changes to global governance to address new and emerging challenges. We commit  to ensure the whole world – especially the most vulnerable – are ready for the vastly more  complex challenges to come. We also commit to deliver on our existing commitments. We will  re-earn the trust of our people and each other, which is the vital precondition for effective  international cooperation.  

6. Today, we pledge a new beginning in international cooperation with a new approach. We will  cooperate to manage risks and harness opportunities for the benefit of all, guided by the  principles of trust, equity, solidarity, and universality. We will collectively strive for a world that  is safer, more peaceful, more just, more equal, more inclusive, more sustainable, and more  prosperous.  

7. To achieve this, we reaffirm our commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and  international law. We also reaffirm that the three pillars of the United Nations – development,  peace and security, and human rights – are interlinked and mutually reinforcing. We further  reaffirm that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is  the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. 

8. Every commitment in this Pact is guided by principles of human rights and gender equality  and will contribute to their fulfilment. On the occasion of its seventy-fifth anniversary, we  reaffirm the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the human rights and fundamental  freedoms enshrined therein. This anniversary offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on  achievements, best practices and challenges with regard to the full realization of all human  rights for all. We recognize the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness  of all human rights and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring all human rights, including the  right to development, and fundamental freedoms of everyone. We recognize that human rights  are at the heart of peaceful, just and inclusive societies and need to be promoted and protected  for the sake of current and future generations. We commit to stepping up our efforts to fight  against racism, all forms of discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. 

9. Human rights can never be fully upheld unless they are also enjoyed by all women and girls,  and conflicts will not be resolved, and sustainable development will not be attained, without  the full, equal and meaningful participation of women at all levels. We reaffirm our commitment  to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and accelerating action to achieve gender  equality, women’s participation and the empowerment of women and girls in all domains and to  eliminating all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls. 

10. We reaffirm our declaration on the commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the  United Nations, and we commit to accelerating our pursuit of the 12 commitments contained  therein, including through the measures outlined in this Pact. We further re-affirm the  importance of the multilateral system, with the United Nations at its centre. We recognize that  the multilateral system must keep pace with a changing world. To that end, we commit to  concrete steps to reinvigorate this system, fill critical gaps in global governance, and accelerate  efforts to keep our past promises and agreements. Through this Pact for the Future, we commit  to build a multilateral system that delivers for everyone, everywhere. We commit to concrete  action in five broad areas, as follows. 

Sustainable development and financing for development 

11. We reaffirm our commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to leave  no one behind. We will act with urgency to realize the vision of the 2030 Agenda, including  through the agreements contained in this Pact, a surge in financing for the Sustainable  Development Goals, and additional steps to ensure sustainable financing in line with our  commitments under the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on  Financing for Development.  

12. Environmental crises pose the most pressing and serious threats to the sustainability of our  planet and the well-being of its present and future inhabitants and have disproportionate  effects on developing countries and we will redouble efforts to implement our commitments in  United Nations intergovernmental agreements. 

International peace and security 

13. The scourge of war is taking on new and more dangerous forms. We are closer today to a  nuclear confrontation than at any time since the end of the Cold War. We will act collectively to  maintain and restore international peace and security on land, at sea, in space, in cyberspace  and in other emerging domains, to more effectively address interrelated global threats, and to  deliver on the promises of the Charter of the United Nations, including its purposes and  principles. To that end, we will enhance and make fuller use of the United Nations toolbox for  prevention, mediation, peacebuilding, peace operations and counter-terrorism, and put a  stronger focus on addressing root causes and underlying drivers and enablers of violence. We  will work towards a world that is measurably closer to being free of nuclear weapons and other  weapons of mass destruction. We will revitalize our disarmament machinery and take concrete  steps to avoid the misuse of emerging domains and new technologies.  

Science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation 

14. We commit to strengthening digital cooperation and harnessing the potential of science, technology and innovation for the benefit of all humanity. We will accelerate the use of science  and digital technologies to help us to realize the 2030 Agenda, including through the transfer of  technology on mutually agreed terms to help close the digital and innovation divide. We resolve  to implement our shared commitments for an open, free, secure, inclusive and human-centred digital future. We commit to ensuring that new technologies are shaped in ways that are  human-centred, reflect universal human values and protect the planet, including through the  Global Digital Compact annexed to this Pact.  

Youth and future generations 

15. We recognize that young people, today and in the future, will have to live with the  consequences of our action and our inaction. We reiterate our commitment to providing youth  with a nurturing environment for the full realization of their rights and capabilities, including  through investment in quality education and life-long learning. We reaffirm the importance of  involving youth and youth-led and youth-focused organizations meaningfully in the work of the  United Nations.  

16. We commit to ensuring that global governance meets the needs of the present without  compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. We have agreed a  Declaration on Future Generations, annexed to this Pact, and we commit to steps to  consciously avoid foreseeable harm to future generations and to safeguard their interests, by  ensuring that decisions are taken with the longterm in mind.  

Transforming global governance 

17. Through the steps set out in this Pact, we aim to realize the vision of a multilateral system  that is more effective, more trusted, more inclusive, and better equipped for the challenges,  opportunities and capacities of the present and the future. As such, we reaffirm the  intergovernmental character of the United Nations, while also committing to ensuring that a  diverse range of actors beyond States contribute to efforts to address global challenges. We  commit to reforming of the intergovernmental organs of the United Nations, including the  Security Council, so that they can deliver on their mandates in a changing world, and to  strengthening the human rights pillar of the Organization. We agree to new ways to improve our  response to global shocks and expanded ways of measuring human progress so that human  and planetary well-being are not overlooked. We will pursue more equitable and effective global  economic governance, including through reform of the international financial architecture.  Finally, we will foster the peaceful and sustainable uses of outer space for the benefit of all,  increasing international cooperation in this rapidly changing domain.  

Follow-up 

18. We recognize that the well-being of current and future generations and the sustainability of  our planet rests on our willingness to make these changes and to continue to ensure that the  multilateral system, with the United Nations at its centre, is fit for purpose. We encourage  stakeholders to participate and engage in the implementation of the Pact for the Future. We will  review progress on the implementation of the commitments in this Pact by the end of the  eightieth session, and take further necessary steps to live up to the promises we have made  today. 

1. Sustainable development and financing for development

[1.1 Accelerating the full achievement of the 2030 Agenda] 

19. We reaffirm that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is our road map for  achieving sustainable development and overcoming the multiple crises that we face and that  the 2030 Agenda provides a blueprint for meeting the needs of present and future generations. We commit to urgently taking bold, ambitious, accelerated, just and transformative actions to  realize the 2030 Agenda and to fully implement the Sustainable Development Goals, leaving no  one behind. 

20. We also reaffirm our commitment to the outcome of the Sustainable Development Goals  Summit convened on 18 and 19 September 2023, in which we expressed our determination to  implement a plan of action for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership, leaving no  one behind and reaching the furthest behind first. 

21. We further reaffirm the centrality of ensuring the full implementation of the Addis Ababa  Action Agenda, which is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda, and recommit to providing the means of implementation to support developing countries in achieving the Sustainable  Development Goals. 

22. We acknowledge that the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable  Development correspond overwhelmingly to existing human rights commitments, including the  right to development. We affirm that Human rights principles must continue to inform the  implementation of the Agenda.  

23. We remain resolved, between now and 2030, to end poverty in all its forms and dimensions  and hunger, everywhere, as a priority. We recognize our responsibility to ensure the lasting  protection of the planet and its natural resources and that we may be the last generation to  have a chance of saving the planet.  

24. We reaffirm our commitment to leave no one behind in pursuit of the 2030 Agenda; to  respect, protect and fulfil all human rights without discrimination; to achieve universal and  quality education, and to take targeted and accelerated action to eliminate all forms of violence  against women and girls and remove all legal, social and economic barriers to achieve gender  equality. We reaffirm that achieving gender equality, empowering all women and girls, and the  full realization of their human rights are essential to achieving sustained, inclusive and  equitable economic growth and sustainable development.  

25. We welcome the call by the Secretary-General for a rescue plan for people and planet,  centred around strengthening governance and institutions for sustainable and inclusive  transformation, prioritizing policies and investments that have multiplier effects across the  Sustainable Development Goals and securing a surge in financing for the Sustainable  Development Goals and an enabling global environment for developing countries to invest in a  sustainable future for their people and the betterment of our common humanity.  

[1.2 Building on the outcomes of recent United Nations high-level meetings related to  sustainable development and financing for development] 

26. We commit to following up on recent high-level meetings of the United Nations related to  sustainable development and financing for development, including the United Nations Food  Systems Summit (2021), the Transforming Education Summit (2022), the United Nations Water  Conference (2023), the Sustainable Development Goals Summit (2023), the high-level meeting  on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (2023), the high-level meeting on  universal health coverage (2023), and the high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis  (2023).  

[1.3 Reaffirmation of all the principles of the Rio declaration on environment and development] 

27. We reaffirm all the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development,  including, inter alia, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, as set out in  principle 7 thereof. 

[1.4 Accelerating ongoing efforts related to the environment] 

28. We recognize that to ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources a  fundamental shift is needed – in commitment, solidarity, financing and action – to put the world  on a better path and support the well-being of present and future generations. 

29. We commit to accelerating ongoing efforts related to the environment and to effectively  addressing the adverse impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and  desertification through the implementation of intergovernmentally agreed commitments,  including those made in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the  Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to  Combat Desertification. 

30. We commit to achieving a world in which humanity lives in harmony with nature, to  conserving and sustainably using our planet’s marine and terrestrial resources, including  through sustainable lifestyles, and sustainable consumption and production, to reversing the  trends of environmental degradation, to promoting resilience, to reducing disaster risk, and to  halting ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss. We will conserve and sustainably use  oceans and seas, freshwater resources, as well as forests, mountains and drylands and protect  biodiversity, ecosystems and wildlife. 

31. We take note of the outcome of the first global stocktake of the Paris Agreement adopted at  the fifth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the  Paris Agreement  

32. We recognize the need for deep, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas  emissions in line with 1.5 °C pathways and calls on Parties to contribute to global effort  including through accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just,  orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net  zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.  

33. We commit to setting a deadline for eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, helping achieve  transformation while supporting a sustainable inclusive and equitable pathway to economic  growth. 

34. We encourage Parties to come forward in their next nationally determined contributions  with ambitious, economy-wide emission reduction targets, covering all greenhouse gases,  sectors and categories and aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5 C, as informed by the  latest science, in the light of different national circumstances.  

35. We welcome the operationalization of the funding arrangements, including the Fund, for  averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of  climate change, including extreme weather events and slow onset events, and the pledges of  USD 792 million to the Fund. We invite financial contributions with developed country Parties  continuing to take the lead to provide financial resources for commencing the  operationalization of the Fund. 

36. We recognize the significant adaptation finance needs of developing countries between now  and 2030, including the need to invest in clean energy, and we further recognize the increasing  needs every year up until 2050, to be able to reach net zero emissions.

37. We recognize that climate change reinforces the need for affordable, long-term capital. We  encourage the consolidation of climate finance vehicles, including among the international  financial institutions, with the aim of supporting countries to address climate change. We  acknowledge the work led by the Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance of  the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change  (UNFCCC) to develop a new climate finance framework and support its further elaboration,  alongside finance for sustainable development, in advance of the fourth International  Conference on Financing for Development in 2025.  

[1.5 Financing for development] 

38. We are deeply concerned by the increase in the estimated Sustainable Development Goals financing gap and we recognize that a step-change is needed in the quantity and quality of  development finance to meet the Goals.  

39. We are committed to ensuring that all countries have the necessary means to achieve the  Sustainable Development Goals, including the necessary financial resources. We welcome the  call by the Secretary-General for an SDG Stimulus and acknowledge support for its elaboration.  We will continue to advance the Secretary-General’s proposal through discussions at the  United Nations as well as other relevant forums and institutions.  

40. We recognize the primary role played by domestic resources in financing development. We  recommit to preventing and combating illicit financial flows. 

41. We urge donor countries to scale up and fulfil their official development assistance  commitments. While we acknowledge that official development assistance alone cannot meet  the financing needs of the Sustainable Development Goals, we agree that official development  assistance is a vital means of support, in particular for poor and vulnerable nations, to invest in  global public goods. 

42. We welcome the increase in official development assistance devoted to helping developing  countries to address climate change. We call upon donors to make this increase additional to  existing flows. 

43. We commit to explore options for improved monitoring, assessment and verification of additional climate financing. 

44. We look forward to the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in  2025 to assess the progress made in the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda,  and to address new and emerging issues that have an impact on the achievement of the  Sustainable Development Goals. 

[1.6 Addressing all obstacles to achieving sustainable development] 

45. We recall that States are strongly urged to refrain from promulgating and applying any  unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and  the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social  development, particularly in developing countries. We  also note that such measures are particularly detrimental to the economies of developing countries and undermine their efforts towards sustainable development.

2. International Peace and Security 

46. We welcome the crucial contribution of the United Nations to the maintenance of  international peace and security since its founding in 1945.  

47. We reaffirm our commitment to the Charter, including its purposes and principles, and  international law, and to acting collectively and cooperatively to promote peace and prevent  conflicts. We also reaffirm diplomacy and dialogue as the primary means to settle disputes and  overcome divisions peacefully.  

48. We recognize that the world is undergoing a significant transition and that we are facing new  and interrelated threats to international peace and security. We reaffirm that, in the face of  these threats, international cooperation remains indispensable and that the United Nations  remains fundamental to achieving collective security.  

49. We welcome the recommendations by the Secretary-General in the New Agenda for Peace  to enhance the toolbox of the Charter to prevent the outbreak, escalation and recurrence of  hostilities on land, at sea, in space and in cyberspace, to address the interrelated global threats  to international peace and security, and to deliver on the promises of the Charter. 

50. We recognize the interdependence of international peace and security, sustainable  development and human rights. We reaffirm the need to build peaceful, just and inclusive  societies that provide equal access to justice and are based on human rights, the rule of law  and good governance at all levels and on transparent, effective and accountable institutions. In  this regard, we recognize the importance of fostering a culture of peace, upholding the rule of  law and promoting human security.  

51. We recommit to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable  Development Goals to strengthen resilience and comprehensively address underlying drivers  and enablers of violence and insecurity and the consequences thereof, which is central to  international peace and security. We reaffirm our commitment to significantly reducing all  forms of violence and we commit to halving violent death rates in all societies by 2030. 

52. We reaffirm that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interrelated, interdependent and  mutually reinforcing and that all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural  rights must be treated in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing and with the same  emphasis, and that they are essential to international peace and security as necessary  guarantees of inclusive societies and protection against marginalization and discrimination. 

53. We express our grave concern at the continuous and progressive erosion of international  norms in the field of arms regulation, non-proliferation and disarmament. We commit to  pursuing agreements on disarmament and the regulation of arms to benefit the well-being and  security of humanity and reduce unnecessary suffering caused by diversion of resources to  armaments.  

54. We recognize the devastating impact of armed conflict on civilians and civilian  infrastructure, and we reaffirm our commitment to the full respect of international law,  including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and to granting humanitarian access, in line with resolution 46/182 and humanitarian principles. 

55. We agree to strengthen the protection of civilians, including in populated areas of conflict  zones and enhance mechanisms to mitigate harm to civilians. We also commit to investigate  alleged violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law and  ensure accountability of perpetrators.  

56. We express concern about all acts of violence, including direct attacks against  humanitarian personnel and facilities, as well as medical personnel and other humanitarian  personnel exclusively engaged in medical duties. We commit to the protection of all  humanitarian personnel, in line with international humanitarian law and international human  rights law. 

57. We express our grave concern at the unprecedented number of people affected by  humanitarian emergencies, including forced and increasingly protracted displacement which  are growing in number, scale and severity. We note that, despite the unprecedented generosity  of host countries and donors, the gap between needs and humanitarian funding continues to  grow. 

58. We reaffirm our collective commitments under the women and peace and security agenda,  and we recognize the necessity of urgently advancing its implementation. We also recognize  that without the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in decisions on peace and  security, and the realization of women’s rights in their indivisible entirety, peace cannot be  achieved and sustained. 

59. We recognize the need to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women  and girls and to accelerate action to achieve gender equality in all domains. 

60. We commit to strengthen the youth, peace and security agenda including through the  meaningful and inclusive participation of youth in conflict prevention and resolution,  peacebuilding, peace processes, post-conflict processes and humanitarian action, as well as  to take concrete measures to further protect youth and children in armed conflict situations.  

[2.1 Prevention, Mediation and Peacebuilding] 

61. We recognize that the United Nations is the most inclusive organization for international  diplomacy and a unique platform for preventive diplomacy, in line with the Charter and  international law.  

62. We reaffirm diplomacy and dialogue as the primary means to settle disputes and overcome  divisions peacefully, but also as means to enhance cooperation. We commit to availing ourselves of the tools referred to in Article 33 of the Charter to seek pacific settlements of  disputes. 

63. We commit to developing new, and revitalizing existing, confidence-building and crisis  management mechanisms. We recognize these mechanisms as critical tools to forestall direct  confrontations between Member States. We further commit to supporting mediation efforts,  including the use of the good offices of the Secretary-General. 

64. We request that the Secretary-General take concrete steps to strengthen the United  Nations approach to preventive diplomacy in the current geopolitical context, building on the  principles set out in the New Agenda for Peace.

65. We strongly encourage Member States to strengthen and develop regional frameworks for  the prevention of conflict with the aim of reducing regional tensions and facilitating cooperation  among Member States through concrete steps and protocols that build trust and confidence  between States, including regional security architectures. 

66. We recognize that peacebuilding is an inherently political process aimed at preventing the  outbreak, escalation, recurrence or continuation of conflict. We affirm that all Member States  have the responsibility to prevent conflict and build peace in their countries, through  approaches based on national ownership and nationally defined priorities and anchored in all of-government and all-of-society approaches centred on human rights, rule of law and human  dignity. 

67. We reaffirm the importance of providing adequate, sustainable, flexible and predictable  financing to peacebuilding efforts, in particular the Peacebuilding Fund. We welcome the  decision to establish the Peacebuilding Account, as a modality of financing the Peacebuilding  Fund, and to approve 50 million United States dollars of assessed contributions to fund the  Account, starting on 1 January 2025. 

68. We encourage closer cooperation between the international financial institutions and the  United Nations to assist Member States in addressing the underlying causes of instability,  sustaining peace, supporting inclusive sustainable development and implementing the 2030  Agenda, including through ensuring an integrated and well-coordinated approach to funding.  

69. We recognize that climate impacts can multiply risks that fuel conflict. We encourage the  relevant organs of the United Nations, as appropriate and within their respective mandates, to  intensify their efforts in considering and addressing climate change, including its possible  security implications. We urge the Security Council to address the peace and security  implications of climate change in the mandates of peace operations and during discussions on  other country or regional situations on its agenda, where relevant. 

[2.2 Peace operations and peace enforcement] 

70. We recognize that United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions  are an essential part of the toolbox of the Charter to maintain international peace and security.  We also recognize that peacekeeping combines the strengths, capabilities and expertise of a  broad range of Member States. We acknowledge that peace operations can only succeed when  political solutions to conflicts are actively pursued, and we request the Security Council to  ensure that peace operations are deployed with clear and prioritized mandates, exit strategies  and viable transition plans, and as part of a comprehensive approach to sustaining peace.  

71. We acknowledge the important role of peace operations in advancing peacebuilding  action and we reaffirm the centrality of partnership and engagement with regional and  subregional organizations, and other partners, to comprehensively address peace and security  challenges.  

72. We commit to undertaking an inclusive, comprehensive reflection on the future of peace  operations, including peacekeeping. We request the Secretary-General to continue to develop  new models of peace operations that can respond to the evolving nature of conflict in  traditional and new domains, while devising transition and exit strategies. 

73. We reaffirm that enforcement action to maintain or restore international peace and  security, authorized by the Security Council under Chapter VII of the Charter and carried out by  regional organizations or arrangements, or other multinational coalitions, should be better  supported, including, where needed, by adequate, predictable and sustainable financing,  including through United Nations-assessed contributions.  

74. We emphasize that such enforcement action, including in counter-terrorism contexts, must  be accompanied by inclusive political efforts and other non-military approaches to advance  peace, to avoid over-securitization and civilian harm, and to address conflict drivers and related  grievances, and must be based on full compliance with obligations under international law,  including the Charter and relevant international conventions and protocols, in particular  international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law.  

75. We stress the need for adequate, predictable and sustainable financing for African Union  and subregional peace support operations mandated by the Security Council. We welcome the  adoption by the Security Council of resolution 2719 (2023), in which the Council agreed to  consider on a case-by-case basis requests from the African Union Peace and Security Council  seeking authorization from the United Nations Security Council for African Union-led peace  support operations under chapters VII and VIII of the Charter to have access to United Nations  assessed contributions. We encourage enhanced collaboration between the United Nations  and the African Union towards effective implementation of that resolution. 

[2.3 Counter-terrorism] 

76. We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and all terrorist acts,  committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes, as it constitutes one of the  most serious threats to international peace and security.  

77. We commit to taking preventive measures, pursuant to international law, including  international human rights law, to address all drivers and enablers of terrorism and violent  extremism conducive to terrorism, in a balanced manner.  

[2.4 Nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament] 

78. We reaffirm that nuclear weapons pose an existential threat to humanity and that a nuclear  war can never be won and must never be fought.  

79. We recommit to the pursuit of a world free of nuclear weapons. We will work collectively to  reverse the erosion of international norms against the spread, testing and use of nuclear  weapons, and the instruments that support these norms.  

80. Pending the total elimination of nuclear weapons, we call upon the nuclear weapon States to take steps to prevent any use of nuclear weapons, including through mistake or  miscalculation, to develop transparency and confidence-building measures, to accelerate the  implementation of existing nuclear disarmament commitments, and to reduce the role of  nuclear weapons in national security strategies. We further call upon the nuclear-weapon  States to engage in dialogue on strategic stability and to elaborate next steps for further  reductions of nuclear arsenals. We commit to strengthen measures to prevent the acquisition  of weapons of mass destruction by non-State actors.

81. We reaffirm the inalienable right of all countries to develop research, production and use of  nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination. 

82. We commit to revitalizing the role of the United Nations in the field of disarmament,  including consideration of the role, timing and preparations of a fourth special session of the  General Assembly devoted to disarmament, building on previous special sessions on disarmament. 

83. We commit to achieving universality of treaties banning inhumane and indiscriminate  weapons.  

84. We commit to strengthening the implementation of global mechanisms to combat, prevent  and eradicate the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons and all its aspects. We commit to  strengthening, developing, and implementing regional, subregional and national targets,  instruments and road maps to address challenges related to the diversion, proliferation and  misuse of small arms and light weapons and ammunition, including in transnational organized  crime.  

[2.5 Emerging domains and new technologies] 

85. We acknowledge that the accelerating pace of technological change necessitates ongoing  assessment and holistic understanding of new and emerging developments in science and  technology impacting international peace and security, including through misuse by non-State  actors, including for terrorism. 

86. We commit to developing, through the relevant disarmament bodies of the United Nations  and with the widest possible acceptance, international norms, rules and principles to address  threats to space systems and, on that basis, launch negotiations on a treaty to ensure peace,  security and the prevention of an arms race in outer space.  

87. We reiterate our commitment that all States will be guided in their use of information and  communications technologies by agreed norms of responsible State behaviour. We undertake  to ensure that infrastructure needed for the delivery of essential public services and for the  functioning of society must never be subject to malicious information and communications  technology activity, from both State and non-State actors.  

88. Building on progress made in multilateral negotiations, we commit to concluding without  delay a legally binding instrument to prohibit lethal autonomous weapons systems that  function without human control or oversight, and which cannot be used in compliance with  international humanitarian law, and to regulate all other types of autonomous weapons  systems.  

89. We commit to strengthening oversight mechanisms for the use of data-driven technology,  including artificial intelligence, to support the maintenance of international peace and security.  We also commit to developing norms, rules and principles on the design, development and use  of military applications of artificial intelligence through a multilateral process, while also  ensuring engagement with stakeholders from industry, academia, civil society and other  sectors. 

90. We recognize emerging and evolving biological risks and the need to anticipate, coordinate  and prepare for such risks, whether caused by natural, accidental or deliberate release of  biological agents and commit to exploring measures to address the risks involved in  biotechnology and human enhancement technologies applied to the military domain.  

3. Science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation 

91. We acknowledge the contribution of science, technology and innovation to sustainable  development and as a critical source of economic growth and industrial development. We  recognize that rapid technological change, in particular, can contribute to the faster  achievement of the 2030 Agenda by improving real incomes, enabling faster and wider  deployment of novel solutions, supporting more inclusive forms of participation and more  sustainable modes of production, and giving policymakers powerful planning tools. 

92. We undertake to increase the use of science and scientific evidence in policymaking. We  recognize that solutions to complex global challenges call for cross- and trans-disciplinary  collaboration and a strong science-policy-society interface in order to build trust in science. We  encourage the United Nations system to take an active role in forging closer links with national  and multilateral science advisory bodies to optimally leverage science, technology and  innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals. We welcome the establishment of the  Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board. 

93. We note with deep concern the existing disparities between developed and developing  countries in terms of conditions, possibilities and capacities to produce new scientific and  technological knowledge and to generate innovation.  

94. We reaffirm that the creation, development and diffusion of innovations and new  technologies and associated know-how, including the transfer of technology on mutually  agreed terms, are powerful drivers of economic growth and sustainable development. We  reiterate the need to accelerate the transfer of environmentally sound technologies to  developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as  mutually agreed, and we note the importance of facilitating access to and sharing accessible  and assistive technologies. 

95. We reaffirm the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, in which it is recognized that it is  essential that all women not only benefit from technology, but also participate in the process  from the design to the application, monitoring and evaluation stages. We pledge to harness the  potential of technology and innovation to improve women’s and girls’ lives and to close the  development divide and the digital divide, including the gender digital divide, as well as address  the risks and challenges emerging from the use of technologies. We commit to addressing  persistent barriers to equal access for women and girls to science, technology and innovation. 

96. We recognize the need to mobilize and scale up the means of implementation, including  financing, for science, technology and innovation, especially in developing countries, in support  of the Sustainable Development Goals.

97. We resolve to take action to enhance the ability of developing countries to benefit from  science, technology and innovation. We commit to addressing the major structural  impediments to accessing new and emerging technologies, including by scaling up the use of  open science, affordable and open-source technology, research and development.  

98. We aim to increase funding for research and innovation related to the Sustainable  Development Goals and build capacity in all regions to contribute to and benefit from this  research.  

99. We support calls for sharing technologies and skills to solve the basic health issues of  water, sanitation and food security.  

100. We recognize the importance of the creation of a conducive environment that attracts and  supports private investment, entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility, including an efficient, adequate, balanced and effective intellectual property framework, while encouraging  access to science, technology and innovation by developing countries.  

101. We call upon the United Nations system to support the efforts of developing countries to  develop and strengthen their national science, technology and innovation ecosystems. To  facilitate these efforts, we welcome the Secretary-General’s vision to work towards a UN 2.0 to  increase the effectiveness of the Organization through enhancing capabilities in data analytics,  digital transformation, strategic foresight, and results orientation.  

102. The Global Digital Compact is annexed to this Pact for the Future.  

4. Youth and Future Generations 

103. We recognize that young persons will live with the consequences of our actions and our  inaction. We welcome the important contributions of young persons and children as critical  agents of change in promoting sustainable development, human rights and peace and security.  We applaud their commitment and contribution to, inter alia, climate action, gender equality,  social justice, humanitarian action, innovation, intergenerational justice, the promotion of  culture and inclusion. We reaffirm the importance of the Convention on the Rights of the Child  and we also reaffirm that the 2030 Agenda remains our commitment to the children and youth  of today, so that they may achieve their full human potential. 

104. We recognize that generating decent work and quality employment for young persons is  one of the biggest challenges that needs to be tackled. We therefore emphasize that investment  in universal, accessible, quality and inclusive education, at all levels, and professional training,  both formal and non-formal, is the most important investment that States can make to ensure  the immediate and long-term development of youth.  

105. We underline the importance of establishing in the national context robust social security  systems as well as social protection floors that respond to the needs and rights of young  persons and children, including all girls and young women. We also recognize that the well being of young people is closely intertwined with the enjoyment of their right to the highest  attainable standard of physical and mental health, including sexual and reproductive health. 

106. We recognize the importance of meeting the needs and aspirations of all young persons,  including those in vulnerable situations and those facing multiple and intersecting forms of  discrimination. 

107. We underline the importance of the active, meaningful and inclusive participation of youth  in decision-making. We commit to strengthening meaningful youth engagement in policymaking  and decision-making processes at the local, national, regional and global levels. We note with  concern the challenges and barriers, including sociocultural, financial, political, legal, digital  and physical that prevent meaningful participation of youth in political and public affairs.  

108. We commit to meaningful youth engagement in all United Nations intergovernmental  bodies, and processes at the global, regional and national levels. We welcome the progress at  the United Nations to promote the meaningful engagement of youth, including through the  establishment of the United Nations Youth Office. 

109. Building on this progress, we request that the Secretary-General lead the development of a  global standard for meaningful youth engagement in processes across the United Nations  system, in cooperation with Member States and youth and youth-led and youth-focused organizations. We also request the Secretary-General to develop an integrated approach to  facilitate more meaningful youth engagement at all levels.  

110. We request the Secretary-General to develop dedicated guidance and protocols on the  protection of young persons, including those who engage with the United Nations and its  intergovernmental bodies.  

111. We also request the Secretary-General to develop a Global Youth Investment platform to  attract and direct financing of youth-related programming to strengthen existing United Nations  funds that support youth and key United Nations youth initiatives.  

112. We encourage all States to establish national youth consultative bodies with a mandate  and the requisite resources to formally engage in national policymaking and decision-making  processes and call upon the United Nations system to support this process at the national  level, as relevant and appropriate. We also encourage States to establish a clear and effective  monitoring mechanism to track progress in the establishment of the above-mentioned national  youth consultative bodies and their engagement in national policymaking and decision-making  processes, including regular reporting by Member States to the General Assembly.  

113. We urge States to address legislative or policy barriers that directly or indirectly prevent  young persons under the age of 30 from running for public leadership positions, recognizing that  despite the size of the global youth population, young persons are disproportionately  underrepresented in formal political structures, and young women even more so. 

114. We call upon States, the United Nations, the private sector, donors and other stakeholders  to provide flexible funding designed with the specific needs of youth organizations in mind, to  provide opportunities for small-scale projects and initiatives, and innovative, risk-taking  programmatic approaches, while prioritizing the building of organizational capacities to  increase their financial sustainability and the impact of their work.  

115. The Declaration on Future Generations is annexed to the Pact for the Future. 

5. Transforming global governance 

116. We commit to transforming global governance and reinvigorating the multilateral system  to allow us to deliver on this Pact for the Future. We will work together to ensure that the  multilateral system is better equipped to tackle the challenges, and seize the opportunities, of  today and tomorrow. We commit to a vision of a multilateral system that is more effective and  capable of delivering on its promises; just and representative; inclusive to allow for a diverse  range of actors beyond States, while maintaining the intergovernmental character of the United  Nations; and networked, to ensure that the multilateral system can draw together existing  institutional capacities and overcome fragmentation. 

[5.1 Reform of the Security Council] [Cofacilitators Note: It is clear from Member State and  stakeholder inputs that reform of the Security Council remains a priority for the Summit of the  Future, and we are committed to achieving an ambitious outcome in the Pact for the Future. We  will present initial language on this issue in June 2024.] 

[5.2 Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly] 

117. We will continue our work to revitalize the work of the General Assembly, and we reaffirm  the central position of the General Assembly as the chief deliberative, policymaking and  representative organ of the United Nations. We commit to examining whether the format, name  and mandate of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General  Assembly, including discussions on agenda alignment, remain fit for purpose, and explore  further options for strengthening its work. 

118. We stress the need for the selection and appointment process of the Secretary-General  and other executive heads to be guided by the principles of transparency and inclusiveness. 

119. We will continue our efforts to enhance ways in which the General Assembly can further  contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security and enhance its coordination  with the Security Council, with full respect to existing mandates.  

[5.3 Strengthening ECOSOC] 

120. We commit to strengthening the work of the Economic and Social Council as a principal  organ for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on issues of  economic and social development, with the aim of achieving the Sustainable Development  Goals. We will work to improve the efforts of the Council to identify and address new and  emerging issues and to respond proactively. 

121. We commit to facilitating more structured and inclusive engagement of non-governmental  organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, together with major  groups, the private sector, youth, local governments and other relevant stakeholders and  regional organizations, in the activities of the Council and its functional and regional  commissions. We will take steps towards granting formal status and a stronger mandate to the  Council’s youth forum to enhance youth engagement throughout the Council’s cycle.

122. We call for closer cooperation between the Economic and Social Council and the Security  Council, and between the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission, to  help to sustaining peace, emphasizing a comprehensive approach and addressing sustainable  development root causes as a source of instability and threat to peace and security.  

123. We reiterate our commitment to further strengthening gender equality and the  empowerment of all women and girls and their human rights at the United Nations. We  therefore resolve to revitalize the Commission on the Status of Women, including to promote  the effective implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, to achieve gender equality and  the empowerment of women and girls, as well as to address situations of violations of women’s  and girls’ rights, including gross and systematic violations, and to make recommendations  thereon.  

[5.4 Strengthening the Peacebuilding Commission] 

124. We affirm our commitment to strengthening the Peacebuilding Commission to bring a  strategic approach and coherence to international peacebuilding efforts. We recognize the  Commission’s role in advising and acting as a bridge to United Nations bodies and facilitating  the inclusion of perspectives on peacebuilding of multiple stakeholders, including international  financial institutions. We encourage the Commission to enhance cooperation with regional and  subregional organizations. 

125. We reaffirm the role of the Peacebuilding Commission in providing peacebuilding and  sustaining peace support to countries through political accompaniment and advocacy to  countries affected by conflict, with their consent. We recognize that the Commission is  uniquely placed at the intersection of peace, security, development and human rights and  strongly rooted in national ownership. We also recognize the important role that the  Commission can play in identifying the root causes of conflicts and in strengthening the  resilience of societies. We commit to supporting the Commission to become a platform for  sharing good practices on conflict prevention among Member States and for mobilizing  resources for their implementation. We note the critical role of the Commission in supporting countries during and after the transition of a peace operation, in cooperation with the Security  Council. 

126. In this regard, we look forward to the outcomes of the 2025 peacebuilding architecture  review. 

[5.5 Deepening Cooperation between the United Nations and Regional Organizations] 

127. We reaffirm that cooperation between the United Nations and regional, subregional and  other organizations is critical to maintaining international peace and security, promoting and  protecting human rights, and implementing the sustainable development agenda. We  emphasize that regional frameworks and organizations, in accordance with Chapter VIII of the  Charter, are critical building blocks for addressing global and regional challenges, for trust building and transparency and for building and strengthening regional security architectures. 

[5.6 Strengthening the Human Rights pillar of the United Nations] 

128. On the occasion of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human  Rights and the thirtieth anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, we  commit to redoubling our efforts in fulfilling our duties to promote and protect human rights and  to implement the provisions enshrined in both documents. 

129. We resolve to strengthen the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human  Rights to enable the Office to effectively carry out its mandate to respond to the broad range of  human rights challenges facing the international community. 

130. We also resolve to further strengthen the United Nations human rights system with the aim  of ensuring effective enjoyment by all of all human rights, including civil, political, economic,  social and cultural rights, as well as the right to development. We reaffirm that the international  community must treat all human rights in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing and with  the same emphasis.  

[5.7 Identifying and addressing complex global shocks] 

131. We commit to improving the international response to complex global shocks of significant  scale and severity, guided by the principles of equity, solidarity and partnership.  

132. We therefore encourage the Secretary-General to develop a set of protocols and convene  and operationalize an Emergency Platform in the event of such a shock that has an impact on  multiple regions of the world and requires a coherent, coordinated and multidimensional  response. We note that an Emergency Platform would not be a standing institution or body. 

133. We emphasize that the decision to convene an Emergency Platform in response to a  complex global shock and the work of an Emergency Platform must fully respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of States. We also emphasize that  the decision to convene an Emergency Platform would support and complement the response  of United Nations principal organs mandated to respond to crises, and that the convening of an  Emergency Platform would not affect the mandated role of any intergovernmental body. 

[5.8 Developing a framework on measures of progress on sustainable development to  complement or go beyond gross domestic product] 

134. We welcome the development of measures of progress on sustainable development that complement and thus go beyond gross domestic product. These measures should recognize  what matters to people, the planet and the future. We recognize this as a critical step in  deepening and making effective our commitment to sustainability in all its dimensions, fighting  inequality and promoting resilience in an era defined by more frequent and intense shocks.  

135. We commit to expanding the basis on which we determine country needs and access to  concessional development finance to incorporate measures of vulnerability, such as a  multidimensional vulnerability index. 

[5.9 Reforming the international financial architecture and ongoing efforts to improve  international debt mechanisms] 

136. We believe that the international financial architecture urgently needs to be modernized  and strengthened to better respond to the challenges of our time and to reflect the reality of  today’s world.  

137. We believe that recent events, in particular the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic,  have exposed the weaknesses of the global financial system, and the inequities it perpetuates,  in responding to shocks. We agree that reform of the international financial architecture is  necessary both to provide greater stability and access to finance, and to offer more complete,  equitable and sustainable solutions to future challenges.  

138. We underline the role of the United Nations in global economic governance, in full respect  of existing governance mechanisms and mandates independent of the United Nations that  preside over specific organizations and rules.  

139. We reiterate the need to broaden and strengthen the voice and participation of developing  countries in international economic decision-making, norm-setting and global economic  governance. We also recommit to open and transparent, gender-balanced and merit-based  leadership selection in international institutions.  

140. We recognize the role of the multilateral development banks in providing affordable access  to long-term capital and accelerating investment in the Sustainable Development Goals. We  encourage multilateral development banks to go further in leveraging their capital bases and we  call upon on the boards of the banks to pursue general capital increases. We encourage the  banks to promote better terms, including longer tenor on loans, increased lending in local  currency, and to incorporate measures of vulnerability into their concessional frameworks. We  support governance reforms at the international financial institutions and multilateral  development banks to enhance representation of developing countries and strengthen trust  among their members. We call upon the banks to develop and publish impact reporting on the  Sustainable Development Goals, and to build internal incentives tied to maximizing impact on  the Goals.  

141. We acknowledge that high debt levels and financing costs in developing countries are unsustainable and hinder their progress towards achieving the 2030 Agenda. We recognize the  need to strengthen the global debt architecture to provide timely, predictable and fair debt  restructuring and debt relief, when required. We therefore encourage the undertaking of a  comprehensive review of the sovereign debt architecture, with a view to making concrete  recommendations for reform to the fourth International Conference on Financing for  Development in 2025. We recommend that such a review should include an update of the  principles of responsible borrowing and lending, a review of existing tools for debt sustainability  analysis, and proposed mechanisms to strengthen information-sharing and transparency  among all creditors and borrowers. We acknowledge that state-contingent debt instruments  could further strengthen borrower resilience and encourage consideration of their use where  appropriate, with a view to providing breathing room to countries hit by shocks. 

142 We will work together to improve the global financial safety net in a world prone to  systemic shocks. We welcome ongoing efforts to rechannel Special Drawing Rights to countries  most in need, while respecting relevant legal frameworks and preserving the reserve asset  character of Special Drawing Rights. We encourage the development of proposals for standing  instruments to accelerate the issuance and the re-allocation of Special Drawing Rights in  response to global crises. We call for access to liquidity finance based on need and  vulnerability, while respecting debt sustainability. 

143. We call for consistent regulation of bank and non-bank entities in the financial sector, for  mandatory sustainability reporting for large corporations, and for strengthening sustainability  ratings to make these consistent, credible and impactful. We look forward to the  intergovernmental discussions on a framework convention on international tax cooperation in  order to strengthen international tax cooperation and make it fully inclusive and more effective. 

144. We welcome the Secretary-General’s decision to convene a biennial summit at the level of  Heads of State and Government between the members of the Group of 20 and the members of  the Economic and Social Council, the Secretary-General and the heads of the international  financial institutions, in order to achieve progress in building a stronger and fairer international  financial architecture 

[5.10 Outer space] 

145. We will foster the peaceful and sustainable uses of outer space for the benefit of all. We  recognize that outer space is a rapidly changing environment and that there is an urgent need to  increase international cooperation to harness the potential of space as a major driver of the  Sustainable Development Goals. 

146. We are concerned that the increased number of objects in outer space will jeopardize  long-term sustainability, compromising our ability to leverage space for sustainable  development on Earth for present and future generations, and recognize the need for urgent  action to enhance cooperation and coordination. 

147. We commit to urgently developing frameworks for international cooperation in the areas of  space traffic management, space debris removal, and space resource activities, including  coordination of missions and exchange of data and findings from the exploration, exploitation  and utilization of the Moon and other celestial bodies, through the Committee on the Peaceful  Uses of Outer Space and in consultation with relevant bodies of the United Nations system. 

148. We resolve to broaden space cooperation to enable inclusive, pragmatic and future-proof  decision-making on space sustainability and the use of space technologies to sustain life on  Earth. 

New York, 22 September 2024