PM Modi in US: What is ‘Summit of the Future’?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with other heads of state and government, reached New York on September 22 to attend the United Nations’ Summit of the Future. At the summit, the leaders will address the concerns of the changing world and aim to find solutions that “protect the needs and interests of current and future generations”. 

The summit is significant given the ongoing geopolitical tensions, climate change-related crisis, digital divide and concerns over data privacy. 

What is UN’s summit of the future? 

The summit of the future was first proposed by the UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, in 2021 and called it as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to reshape human history fostered by international cooperation. 

“The summit is a high-level event, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future,” said the UN on its website. Effective global cooperation is increasingly critical to our survival but difficult to achieve in an atmosphere of mistrust, using outdated structures that no longer reflect today’s political and economic realities, UN noted. 

After deliberating on various issues that pose a threat to the international communities, the heads of various countries are likely to sign ‘Pact for the Future’. The pact will have solutions including financing sustainable development, digital cooperation, global governance, etc. 

“‘The Summit of the Future’ in September 2024 will produce an inter-governmentally negotiated, action-oriented Pact for the Future,” the website said. 

Additionally, the pact will also include a global digital compact and a declaration for future generations.