[Source: The Canberra Times]

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a ‘Pact for the Future’, which Secretary-General Antonio Guterres describes as a “step-change towards more effective, inclusive, networked multilateralism”.

The pact, which also includes an annex on working toward a responsible and sustainable digital future, was adopted without a vote on Sunday at the start of a two-day Summit of the Future. The agreement came after nine months of negotiations.

“We are here to bring multilateralism back from the brink,” Guterres told the summit.

Guterres described the summit as a “unique opportunity” to change the course of human history.

The two-day summit is taking place in New York in the lead-up to the UN General Assembly starting on Tuesday.

Guterres long-pushed for the summit and the pact, which covers themes including peace and security, global governance, sustainable development, climate change, digital co-operation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations. It lays out some 56 broad actions that countries pledged to achieve.

“We recognise that the multilateral system and its institutions, with the United Nations and its Charter at the centre, must be strengthened to keep pace with a changing world,” it said.

“They must be fit for the present and the future – effective and capable, prepared for the future, just, democratic, equitable and representative of today’s world, inclusive, interconnected and financially stable.

“Today, we pledge a new beginning in multilateralism. The actions in this Pact aim to ensure that the United Nations and other key multilateral institutions can deliver a better future for people and planet, enabling us to fulfil our existing commitments while rising to new and emerging challenges and opportunities.”

Global crises have spotlighted the need for UN reform and overhauling international financial systems.

The challenges include ongoing wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan; lagging climate change mitigation efforts; widespread national debt issues; and concerns over technology advancing without governance.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Vershinin criticised the negotiations and adopting the pact.

Russia failed in its bid to include an amendment – backed by North Korea, Syria, Nicaragua, Belarus and Iran – that would have spelled out that “the United Nations and its system shall not intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state”.