Futures Digest 5 Is The Pact For The Future Enough For A Better Tomorr

Leo Migdal

-Dec 3, 2025, 12:00 PM

futures digest 5 is the pact for the future enough for a better tomorr

The Pact for the Future, recently adopted by world leaders at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), covers a broad range of topics, including peace and security, sustainable development, climate... The Pact reaffirms world leaders’ pledge “to reinvigorate global action to ensure the future we want and to effectively respond to current and future challenges” and commits to 56 actions to this end. It also includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations as annexes, and it is stated to be action-oriented. In a previous article, we highlighted how the Pact drew insights from earlier processes, its main contents and commitments, and what may immediately catch the eye of a futurist—such as the focus on future... As we navigated this significant milestone, we wondered what the futures community thinks about it and gathered insights and perspectives. Jerome Glenn, CEO and Co-Founder of The Millennium Project, applauds the Pact as a “massively complex and quite comprehensive normative statement that recognizes existential risks and the potential of global transformation to a better...

He further highlights notable omissions: “There was not a word about synthetic biology—potentially a bigger impact on the future of civilization than the industrial revolution. Most children born today will see the year 2100, and nearly all of their lives will be augmented by Artificial Superintelligences—no evidence of this kind of insight is anywhere.” When expected topics are covered by the Pact, such as governing AI at an international level, the results appear unsatisfactory in some instances. Glenn remarks that the “Global Governance of the transition from Artificial Intelligence (AI) we have today to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) we could have within this decade is the most complex and difficult management... Its urgency is not mentioned anywhere except for some mild statements in the Global Digital Compact.” These include enhancing AI governance for humanity’s benefit, governing AI in the public interest, ensuring that it fosters... Additionally, he suggests carefully defining the criteria for selecting the experts of the panel and establishing the UN coordination office in the form of a collective intelligence system.

Erik F. Øverland, President of the World Futures Studies Federation, reflects on the significance of this Pact and how to move forward, suggesting that “The Futures of Humankind are the Futures of Truth. Let’s move beyond current dichotomies like modernism vs postmodernism, Natural vs Artificial, and establish a sound foundation for Humankind Commons.” Is the #PactfortheFuture Enough for a Better Tomorrow? While exploring the implications of this significant milestone adopted by the UNGA, HÉCTOR CASANUEVA and I gathered feedback from the #futures community to understand their perspectives. It seems that concerns remain, but there is also a sense of hope regarding the potential impact of the Pact.

Read more on Futures Digest #5: https://lnkd.in/dWKMC4tT Many thanks to all those who contributed their thoughts and insights to this important discussion: Jerome Glenn on behalf of The Millennium Project, Erik Ferdinand Øverland on... Subscribe to #FuturesDigest for free: https://lnkd.in/dsqGneHR What an excellent summary Mara Di Berardo and HÉCTOR CASANUEVA 💎 The U.N. General Assembly has approved a blueprint to bring the world’s increasingly divided nations together to tackle 21st-century challenges. Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to the United Nations General Assembly during Summit of the Future, Sunday, Sept.

22, 2024 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev speaks to the United Nations General Assembly during Summit of the Future, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024 at U.N. headquarters.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Prime Minister of Iceland Bjarni Benediktsson speaks to the United Nations General Assembly during Summit of the Future, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) European Council President Charles Michel speaks to the United Nations General Assembly during Summit of the Future, Sunday, Sept.

22, 2024 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Nature Sustainability volume 7, page 1081 (2024)Cite this article A new start for multilateralism is what UN Member States are focusing on, but achieving it won’t be easy and won’t be enough to deliver sustainable development. Addressing the multifaceted root causes of discrimination, inequalities and injustice across scales should be the priority.

From 20 to 23 September 2024, in New York, world leaders will gather for the Summit of the Future, a high-level convening proposed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, in... In the report, the Secretary-General emphasized the role of trust and solidarity at all levels as levers to advance the Sustainable Development Goals agenda, among other agreements. He also reminded the international community of the promise of the UN Charter against the backdrop of war and violence that are hindering ongoing multilateral efforts to leave no one behind. What should we expect from the summit? All Member States have agreed that the outcome of the summit would be a ‘Pact for the Future’, drafted and at its third revision2. The pact aims to reaffirm the role of multilateralism to deliver a better future for people and the planet; it also aims to reaffirm the three interlinked pillars of the UN, sustainable development, peace...

Poverty and environmental problems feature as urgent priorities, along with the need to reduce inequalities, address discrimination and improve participation of women in political and economic life. So far, the draft points to a commitment of Member States to 60 actions about sustainable development and financing for development, international peace and security, science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation, youth and... With the resurgence of war, and the rapid diffusion of populist and nationalist movements, geopolitical tensions are at record high, but the pact gives hope that the international community remains united and committed to... Humanity is at an undeniable crossroad — our survival as a species is at stake. This has been said many times. Wars tear down what has taken effort to build.

They bring human loss and desolation. Climate change is worsening human well-being today and jeopardizes the wellness of future generations. Endless grabbing of natural resources at a pace nature cannot sustain is rapidly making humanity poor and unsafe. However, one of the key global challenges missing from the Pact is the decline of democracy, a pressing issue that has significant implications for the other areas the Pact seeks to address. International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Report 2024: Strengthening the Legitimacy of Elections in a Time of Radical Uncertainty highlights how democratic decline and rising authoritarianism are undermining political rights and civic space, which... More specifically, looking at the Pact from a democracy lens, some key findings stand out, including critical gaps:

Global Threats to Democracy: The Pact fails to explicitly address the rise of authoritarianism and the global decline in democracy, both of which contribute to global instability. While the Pact discusses the need to democratize global governance systems, including the UN Security Council, it does not recognize the critical importance of democratic governance at the national level (the four mentions of... Democratic Institutions: While the Pact acknowledges institutions like parliaments and civil society organizations, it fails to explicitly acknowledge the role of democratic institutions in ensuring political stability, peace, and accountability, and also overlooks the... These institutions are essential for conflict prevention and sustainable development, and the Pact should include stronger commitments to protect them. Civil Society: Although the Pact emphasizes the need for stronger partnerships with civil society and the need to protect human rights organizations from reprisals, it falls short in acknowledging the increasing repression faced by... And by using the wording “in accordance with national legislation” it fails to acknowledge how national legislation is increasingly used to curtail civic space.

The key takeaways from the UN's new guidelines for the future which Russia and its allies opposed The “Pact for the Future” is the United Nations’ master plan for tackling challenges that lie ahead for humanity, with 56 “actions” covering everything from peacekeeping to the potential threats posed by artificial intelligence. These are the key aspects of the pact that was adopted Sunday by the UN’s 193 members at a gathering ahead of the body’s centerpiece high-level week. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The pact underlines the “increasingly complex challenges” to world peace, notably the threat of nuclear war, with the document reiterating the UN’s core tenets. By Mara Di Berardo and Héctor Casanueva – November 2, 2024

As we explored the implications of this significant milestone adopted by the UNGA, we gathered feedback from the futures community regarding the Pact for the Future and its commitments. Three critical issues urgently require resolution, and a basic consensus should be pursued immediately: Artificial General Intelligence, Climate Change, and Peace and Security. If a firm, practical consensus is not reached on these issues, much of the Pact will remain precarious and at risk of existential irrelevance. There must be a global mobilization—across civil society, science, business, think tanks and NGOs, and the broader public—pressing for compliance with the Pact and empowering the UN to generate feasible, actionable plans for each... Moreover, further contributions from the futures community will be essential to define long-term strategies that better anticipate future challenges, and the community is willing to continue contributing. In conclusion, we wish to express our appreciation for the extensive efforts and diverse content encompassed in the Pact for the Future and its annexes.

We join many others in hoping that this Pact will serve as a powerful catalyst for change, guiding humanity toward more long-term, integrated, and sustainable pathways, ensuring that future generations inherit a world that... OnAir membership is required. The lead Moderator for the discussions is US onAir Curator. We encourage civil, honest, and safe discourse. For more information on commenting and giving feedback, see our Comment Guidelines. Futures Digests is your go-to source for global news and research in futures studies and foresight.

Futures Digest 5 Is The Pact For The Future Enough For A Better Tomorr

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