Hundreds of youth, celebrities and world leaders converged at UN Headquarters in New York on Saturday for the second of two "action days" on the eve of the landmark Summit of the Future.
Making the world fairer, safer and more sustainable for all was at the centre of a fan of bold, new ideas unfolding throughout the final session of the Summit of the Future Action Days, with messages of hope and change from young changemakers to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
"Looking out, I see world leaders. I see mayors and legislators. I see civil society, the private sector, academics, artists, activists and young people," the UN chief said at the opening of the day's session in the General Assembly Hall. "You come from every corner of the world, every generation and every walk of life. Friends, this is what effective, inclusive, networked multilateralism looks like."
"Four years ago, we began the process that brings us here today because we saw a world in trouble, torn apart by conflict and inequalities, threatened by climate chaos and unregulated technologies and with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in peril, with many countries now mired in disastrous debt and a cost-of-living crisis," he said.
"So, we began a journey to reform and renew the international system so that it meets the moment and is fit for the future," Mr. Guterres said.
Watch the opening session of day two of the Summit of the Future Action Days below:
Young changemakers: 'Something needs to be done'
Global Youth Ambassador Oluwaseun Ikusika from Nigeria told UN News why she was at UN Headquarters on Saturday.
"I'm using this opportunity to actually call world leaders to intervene because when you look at what is going on right now, there's high rates of genocide, femicide everywhere," she said. "So, it's very important that they actually put full commitment to protection. For us to move forward, for us to achieve whatever we want to achieve by 2030, something needs to be done."
Hannah Ettelstein, a youth activist from the United States, talked about her hopes for change.
"I'm hoping that people will bring up hard conversations," she told UN News. "I hear a lot of conversations about like 'Oh, we want to build this future, we want to include you.' But, that's a lot of talk, and I want to see what actions the UN has in place to actually implement change and include us in conversations beyond a week-long conference."
'Don't hold yourself back'
UN News also caught up with Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, best known for starring in HBO's Game of Thrones, who is a passionate advocate for climate action and gender equality and a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
"The UN is pretty incredible thing, created after the Second World War in a hope that we can stop messing up on a scale like that," he said. "To have more than 190 countries come together is pretty spectacular and yet still make progress. Is it slow moving? Yes."
However, he said things are moving in the right direction even though the inequality that exists around the world is the biggest challenge and must be addressed. To solve problems, it's important that all generations are involved and represented to have different perspectives, he added.
"I do believe in humans, and we all want the same thing," he said. "We want a better tomorrow and a better future for our children."
As for getting there, he had a message for today's youth: "Don't hold yourself back."
Striking new paths, from digital to security
Sessions on Saturday focused on three priority themes: digital and technology; peace and security; and sustainable development and financing.
Over the course of the day, leaders, experts and civil society shared developments already underway and presented plans for what's to come.
Discussions and a plethora of side events touched on such game-changing acts as reforms to make multilateral development banks bigger, better and bolder and proposals for global solidarity levies to help finance underfunded global investments in a way that is fair and transparent.
Sustainable future for all
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed called today's event "a platform for brilliant minds" to share their ideas, from academics developing new proposals, civil society members working directly with communities and policymakers navigating policy and regulatory hurdles.
"We meet at a pivotal time," she said, noting that only 17 per cent of targets are on track to meet the SDGs.
The UN deputy chief said with only six years to go, the rallying cry of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - leaving no one behind - has fallen "abysmally short".
At the same time, hunger is rising, fossil fuel use and global temperatures are soaring while conflicts are spreading and the fight for gender equality is floundering.
'We need bold new ideas'
"This simply cannot go on," she said. "We need bold new ideas."
Over the last nine months, she said Member States have been negotiating the Pact for the Future and the state of development today has been at the heart of the discussions, considering emerging and future challenges from artificial intelligence to modern weapons that have prompted reflections how new technologies can supercharge the development process and how delivering on SDGs can build a foundation of global solidarity.
The world needs equally bold investments in all areas including food security, green energy and digital connectivity, but the challenge goes beyond a simple problem of dollars and cents, she said.
Pact of the Future
The international financial system cannot provide the safety net that many countries - particularly developing countries - need today to pursue the SDGs, Ms. Mohammed said.
The Pact of the Future sends an unequivocal message: it's time for an urgent reform of the international finance architecture to, among other things, provide effective and equal support to countries during systemic shocks and meet the urgent challenge of climate change.
"The ambition and the momentum doesn't stop today," she said. "At next year's Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, we must take forward this momentum to deliver a new financing framework that can deliver the goals and carry us into the next decade. I hope you will join me in a commitment to invest in hope, invest in sustainable development, and invest in a better future for all."
Summit of the Future
The Summit of the Future will be held from 22 to 23 September, just prior to the start of the annual general debate in the UN General Assembly Hall.
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On Saturday, General Assembly President Philémon Yang presented the Pact for the Future to the world body after meeting and consulting with Member States over the last days, according to his spokesperson Sharon Birch.
"He urges all Member States to support the adoption of the Pact and its annexes by consensus at the Summit of the Future tomorrow, Sunday, 22 September 2024," she said.
"It will be a historic moment to recommit to a better future for everyone, everywhere," she added.
The UN chief on Saturday discussed the annexes that focus on bridging digital gaps and a declaration for the future, which are also expected to be adopted on Sunday at the Summit of the Future.
He said the Global Digital Compact must be a blueprint for closing digital divides, and the first universal agreement on artificial intelligence, laying the foundations for a global platform centered at the UN that brings all actors together.
The Declaration on Future Generations must commit leaders to take tomorrow into account as they make decisions today, he said, adding that gender equality and human rights must weave through every aspect of those texts reflecting the fact they are fundamental to every area of life.
"The issues at the heart of these texts - justice, rights, peace and equality - have animated my work for decades - driving me forward," he said. "The same is true for many of you. I will not give up, and I know you won't either. The adoption of these texts will not be the end of the journey. It will simply be the end of the beginning."
Find out more about the Summit of the Future on our dedicated page and join UN News on Sunday for live coverage of the opening session starting at 8am (New York time).
