Highlights of the Summit of the Future
On September 22 and 23, 2024, the UN General Assembly convened the Summit of the Future, a historic occasion for global leaders to agree on the priorities to tackle the world’s most pressing crises and to define a plan for a sustainable, equitable and peaceful future.
As an outcome of the Summit, the General Assembly adopted the Pact for the Future and its two annexes, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations. The Pact contains 56 strategic pledges and guidelines for action that UN Member States have agreed are essential to pursue sustainable development, global peace, an equitable use of science, technology and innovation, the wellbeing and political involvement of youth and future generations, and a renewed and more effective global governance. In reaffirming the fundamental role of multilateralism to achieve a better and livable future for both people and the planet, the Pact for the Future represents a promise to future generations and a challenge to world leaders to act upon their commitments.
An opportunity for cities and regions
The Summit provided subnational governments with the opportunity to carve out a more prominent space in the UN System – a change that would allow them to better deploy their enormous potential to deliver concrete actions and contributions towards the most important international agendas, and drive SDG implementation on a territorial scale. In recognizing this essential role, the UN Secretary General convened the Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments (AG-LRG) in October of 2023, with a mandate to provide the UNSG with recommendations on how to improve the involvement of cities and regions in the UN system. On September 19th, just prior to the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments, the group of 15 subnational leaders from around the world presented their recommendations (access all deliverables of the AG-LRG here) to the UNSG, in the presence of the Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments (GTF), of which Regions4 is a founding member.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the delegates of the GTF constituency, offering strong support for the unique role of subnational governments. He emphasized that, as the level of government closest to the people, their presence should not only be welcomed but actively promoted within the UN system. Guterres affirmed his commitment to doing everything within his power to strengthen this recognition, in the challenging context where not only the recognition of subnational governments, but the entire Pact for the Future, was at risk of not being adopted.
Regions4 at the Summit of the Future
The Regions4 delegation on the ground in New York included representatives from Basque Country, Catalonia, Flanders, Gauteng, Kisumu, Pichincha, Lombardy, Paraná, Quebec, Rio de Janeiro, Scotland, Wales and Pernambuco. The World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments followed the meeting of the AG-LRG, to discuss the role of Cities and Regions in implementing the Pact for the Future and the next steps to achieve their enhanced involvement in UN governance. Ms. Paola Pabón, Prefect of Pichincha, and President of CONGOPE (Ecuador), is a member of the UNSG Advisory Group and of Regions4, and highlighted the crucial role of subnational governments in shaping public policies that are essential for national governance and in facilitating participatory processes that empower citizens. She presented the report, “Voice of the Territories in the World,” which detailed the results of a regionally led participatory process in Ecuador, outlining key challenges and proposals from the territories to the UN.
At the closing of the World Assembly, Regions4 Secretary General Natalia Uribe stressed that the time has come for a renewed multilateral system inclusive of subnational governments, and that cities and regions must be united under this shared goal and vision, and support each other’s complementary roles within our common constituency. Regions4 Members also participated in the Action Days (Sep 20 and 21), including the event “Shaping local pathways for a more equitable, sustainable and secure future for all” on SDG localization hosted by the Local 2030 Coalition. The President of the Basque Country Imanol Pradales highlighted that multilevel governance is key for revitalizing a governance system that is currently not fit for the challenges of the future. The event showcased how the international community is aware that cities and regions are crucial actors in the perspective of an equitable and sustainable future, despite not yet having been formally recognized as a sphere of government within the multilateral system.
Regions leading on Future-proof policymaking
A focus on regions was possible thanks to the independent side event organized by Regions4 in collaboration with Flanders, titled “Global challenges, regional solutions – Regions leading on Future-proof policymaking,” and was held on Sep 20th in the Flanders House in New York City. The event featured speakers from the Basque Country, Flanders, Lombardy, Pichincha, and Wales, including Prefect and CONGOPE President, Paola Pabón, and the Commissioner for Future Generations of Wales, Derek Walker. The event highlighted how regional governments are essential political actors in driving future-proof policymaking and serving as key allies for a greener, safer, and more sustainable future. From the strategic use of foresight in Flanders to green budgeting initiatives in Lombardy, the connection of territories to the UN in Pichincha, the promotion of multilevel governance in the Basque Country, and the integration of future generations into policymaking in Wales, the event demonstrated the diverse and innovative ways regions are leading on addressing critical global challenges and gearing up for the future. A high-level panel discussed the expected changes in global governance, the role of regions in shaping and implementing the Pact for the Future, and the potential of Strategic foresight as a policy-making tool.
Finally, a major highlight was the official signing of the Regions4 and UN-Habitat partnership agreement and launch of the Regions4SDGs initiative. Eugenio Amato, Regions4 SDG Officer, presented the joint initiative that will create a global framework for SDG implementation at regional level and provide technical assistance and help regions in accessing funding for sustainable development. Natalia Uribe Pando, Regions4 Secretary General, and Dr. Shipra Narang Suri, Chief of Urban Practices Branch, at UN Habitat, signed the Memorandum of Understanding, marking the beginning of a transformative initiative that will empower local and regional governments, enhancing their ability to attract investments and deliver the transformative changes urgently needed to achieve the SDGs.
The Pact for the Future
One of the summit’s key achievements was the adoption of the UN Pact for the Future by consensus. This historic agreement presents five areas of action to address the world’s most pressing challenges: sustainable development and finance for development, peace and security, science and technology, youth and future generations, and transforming global governance. The Pact reaffirms the commitments from Agenda 2030, as well as from the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montral Global Biodiversity Framework. It grants strong attention to youth and future generations, focusing on this key constituency in the Declaration on Future Generations, which considered inputs from the Future Generations Commissioner of Wales. Concerning global Governance, action 55 of the Pact declares that engagement towards global challenges must involve local authorities and includes the commitment of Member States to receive recommendations by the UN Secretary General on how engagement with local and regional authorities enables advancing the 2030 Agenda (83 – e). This opens the door to the next steps towards the creation of a new mechanism for the involvement of local and regional governments in the UN multilateral system.
New York Climate Week
Taking place back-to-back with the Summit of the Future, was New York Climate Change Week, a key moment for non-state and non-party actors to convene in the months prior to Climate COP29 to be held in November in Baku, Azerbaijan. Regions4 members played an active role in Climate Week NYC, engaging in key discussions and events to advance regional climate action.
In the follow-up to Climate Week, First Minister John Swinney of the Scottish Government, and Regions4 President, emphasized that as President of Regions4, Scotland is committed to continuing its influence on global decision-making, working to drive positive climate action and contribute to meaningful solutions on the international stage.
During the Resilience Hub event “What Does Transformational Resilience Mean When Local Communities Shape the Global Movement on Resilience?”, Quebec’s Minister of the Environment, Mr. Benoit Charette, showcased their carbon market as a vital tool not only for financing local governments’ climate action but also for fostering international solidarity. Meanwhile, Mrs. Karla Godoy, Executive Secretary for Sustainability of Pernambuco, participated in the Intergenerational Leaders event organized by the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF), adding her voice to the discussion on future-focused leadership.
Additionally, Secretary General Natalia Uribe represented Regions4 at the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28 Roundtable, where she contributed to discussions on empowering people living in informality. The event offered an opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with members and partners, focusing on deepening collaboration and advancing regional climate action. We were especially excited to welcome new members, including Andalucía (Spain) and Goiás (Brazil) (in progress), as we continue to expand our network and strengthen our collective impact.
The engagement of Regions4 at the Summit of the Future provided a new opportunity for the network to come together, sealed a partnership with the most relevant UN agency for the development of territories, and set a milestone in the context of regional governments’ participation in UN advocacy spaces. Its participation in New York Climate Week opened an important moment of reflection head of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan
