In 2022, the growing impacts of climate change have been felt across the globe, from prolonged drought in the Middle East and North Africa, to erratic monsoons in South Asia and record-breaking... Show moreIn 2022, the growing impacts of climate change have been felt across the globe, from prolonged drought in the Middle East and North Africa, to erratic monsoons in South Asia and record-breaking heat waves in Europe and China. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic—which reached the tragic milestone of one million deaths within the first eight months of this year—and the ongoing war in Ukraine and other violent conflicts have impeded global progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. To address these and other pressing global challenges, in his 2021 Out Common Agenda report, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a Summit of the Future to improve collective action worldwide. Among the summit’s anticipated outcomes are a Declaration on Future Generations, a Global Digital Compact, and a New Agenda for Peace. This report elaborates on the challenges, proposed major elements, and potential spoilers to be overcome by each of these global policy frameworks. It further argues that meaningful civil society engagement in the summit’s preparations can reassure all stakeholders that decisions taken in September 2023 are well-informed, enjoy broad social ownership, and generate a sense of co-responsibility in supporting their implementation. Show less
Ponzio, R.; Yusuf, N.; Larik, J.E.; Arjomand, B.; Siddiqui, M.; Zhang, J.; Durch, W. 2022
Fears of rising conflict, new COVID-19 variants, irreversible climate change, and eroding collaboration in the global economy threaten to undermine the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and... Show moreFears of rising conflict, new COVID-19 variants, irreversible climate change, and eroding collaboration in the global economy threaten to undermine the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other efforts to advance human progress. Yet, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to review and dramatically improve global tools for managing such enormous challenges, a Summit of the Future, is under serious consideration for September 2023 by the United Nations’ 193 Member States. Informed by research and policy dialogues—initially undertaken for the Albright-Gambari Commission and its follow-through, and most recently to help flesh out key proposals in the Secretary-General’s seminal report, Our Common Agenda—this report’s twenty main recommendations are intended to encourage more ambitious, forward-looking thinking and deliberation on global governance renewal and innovation in the run-up to next year’s Summit. Show less
