un official: "future summit" is an opportunity to revive multilateralism
2024-09-16
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reference news reported on september 15on september 11, the saudi arabian newspaper arab news published an article titled "revitalizing multilateralism in an era of global crisis" written by jamil ahmed, director of intergovernmental affairs of the united nations environment programme. the full text is excerpted as follows:
as the world faces a series of complex global crises - notably conflict, poverty, hunger, climate change, nature loss and pollution - multilateral action faces daunting challenges in achieving global development goals and addressing emerging global challenges. when world leaders meet at the united nations headquarters in new york this month, they will discuss issues of global and regional concern. a key point on the agenda will be how to revitalize multilateralism.
in parallel with the un general assembly, a special meeting called the "for the future summit" will be held to forge a new international consensus on how to build a better present and safeguard the future. the meeting will identify and propose actions to strengthen multilateral mechanisms, take prompt action on existing agreements, and find solutions to emerging challenges.
the meeting at un headquarters this month comes at a difficult time. the planet is mired in complex environmental crises, unmanageable cost-of-living challenges and deadly conflicts in several regions. the road to achieving the sustainable development goals by 2030 is littered with obstacles that are pushing them aside while pushing more people into poverty, inequality and hunger. halfway through the timeline for the goals, the progress card shows dismally that only 17% of the goals are on track. agreements on climate and nature loss are lagging behind.
this poor performance can be attributed to several factors, including inflation, economic instability, political unrest and lack of trust between countries. fiscal challenges faced by low- and middle-income countries have become a major stumbling block.
developing countries say they are unlikely to achieve climate and environmental goals without adequate financial support. providing these countries with "means of implementation" - a euphemism for technology transfer and financial assistance - is a key point on the un agenda. unfulfilled promises and insufficient inflows of climate finance are fuelling mistrust between developing and developed countries. debt obligations to international financial institutions further squeeze their fiscal space, forcing investments away from climate and environment and towards areas such as health, food and disaster relief.
other factors, such as high initial costs, will also hinder a just energy transition. developing countries insist that meaningful progress can only be made if financing inequalities are addressed and “energy systems are transitioned away from fossil fuels in a fair, orderly and equitable manner.” reforming the international financial architecture is essential to further strengthen the foundations of sustainable development and peaceful societies.
the upcoming “future summit” is seen as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not only to relaunch the 2030 agenda but also to complement this effort by finding remedies for new challenges that have emerged since the adoption of the sustainable development goals in 2015. the aim of the summit is to establish a flexible framework to promote the implementation of global development goals, human rights, and peace and security.
the conference will adopt a "convention for the future" as an overall framework to promote the implementation of existing commitments and provide support for inclusive and sustainable efforts to address new global challenges. the "declaration for future generations" containing a series of principles, policy directions and specific actions will be an important part of the convention.
with multilateralism part of its dna, the united nations system will work hand in hand with governments, in partnership with the private sector, and in collaboration with youth, women, civil society, indigenous peoples and local communities, among others, to translate the summit’s ambitious declarations into solid actions and outcomes.
the multifaceted global crises of climate change, conflict, health, inequality and poverty, and new technologies, including artificial intelligence, urgently require a global response supported by a revitalized and revitalized multilateral system that enjoys the full trust of all and is ready to meet current and future challenges.
at the arab league summit in bahrain in may, un secretary-general antónio guterres reiterated his call for “deep reform of the global multilateral systems — from the security council to the international financial architecture — so that they are truly universal and representative of today’s realities.”
in a world full of challenges, the need for strong multilateralism has never been more urgent. the "future summit" is an important opportunity to reimagine and revitalize the global governance structure to achieve a more sustainable and equitable future. (compiled by feng xue)
