SOTF: World Leaders Say Pact of the Future Must Revitalize Global Governance

Join the African Newspage Community on WhatsApp.

Ahead of September’s Summit of the Future (SOTF), a group of 58 world leaders, namely former heads of state, ministers of government and leaders of intergovernmental and civil society organizations, have in an open letter to Heads of State and Government and United Nations Member States released Friday, said the Pact for the Future, the main outcome to be negotiated at the SOTF must establish “robust and accountable” follow-up mechanisms to effectively revitalize global governance including UN reforms.

“The most recent draft of the proposed Pact presents over 50 “Action” paragraphs, each underpinned by concrete commitments. To ensure that the promises made in the Pact for the Future result in actionable steps led by Member States, international organizations and their partners, governments must ensure that the Pact’s key Actions and Commitments are supported directly by concurrent implementation efforts, backed-up by clear benchmarks and monitoring mechanisms,” said the statement.

The statement recognized the global civil society’s commitment towards a successful SOTF outcome, particularly a bold and far-reaching People’s Pact for the Future, including establishing 20 “ImPACT Coalitions,” to raise the ambition and support follow-up on Pact for the Future Actions and Commitments at the 2024 UN Civil Society Conference in Support of the Summit of the Future, held May 9-10 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Therefore, the goup said people of the world expect governments to also do their own part, by delivering on promises made and implementing their own commitments, which would help build trust and guarantee the wellbeing of present and future generations.

“The Summit of the Future presents both an important milestone and another step in the long journey toward greater justice, security, and sustainable development for all nations and peoples. Success will hinge on robust Summit follow-up. With the active, sustained engagement of civil society around the world who share the vision and aspiration of more effective multilateralism, UN Member States should ensure a clear, well-designed and dynamic roadmap to implement the Pact for the Future,” the statement concluded.

Among others the signatories of the letter included Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile; Jan Peter Balkenende, former Prime Minister of The Netherlands, María Elena Agüero, Secretary General, Club de Madrid; Han Seung-Soo, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea; Mehdi Jomaa, former Prime Minister of Tunisia; María Fernanda Espinosa, former President of the United Nations General Assembly and current Executive Director, GWL Voices; as well as Ibrahim Gambari, former Foreign Minister of Nigeria and former UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs.

Others were Isabel de Saint Malo, former Vice-President and Foreign Minister of Panama; Moussa Mara, former Prime Minister of Mali; Daniel Perell, Co-Chair, Coalition for the UN We Need; Nudhara Yusuf, Co-Chair, 2024 United Nations Civil Society Conference; Tim Murithi, Head of the Peacebuilding Interventions Programme at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, Cape Town; as well as Florence Syevuo, Executive Director, SDGs Kenya Forum and Co-Chair, Coalition for the UN We Need.