The Summit of the Future took place from September 22 to 23, 2024 at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York. Its aim was to unite the world’s leaders around a commitment to a reinvented multilateral system of international cooperation: so that we can address current and emerging global challenges more effectively, particularly with a view to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The Summit was preceded by the Action Days (September 20-21), aimed at putting forward promising initiatives and proposals for follow-up action to the Summit. The steering group of the #Culture2030Goal Campaign, of which the IFCCD is a member, also hosted the side event No Future Without Culture.

The IFCCD, through its involvement in the steering group of the #Culture2030Goal campaign as well as individually, contributed to the consultation processes related to the formulation of the Pact for the Future. Its Secretary General, Marie-Julie Desrochers, was able to represent the IFCCD and take part in person in the various meetings held as part of the Summit and the Action Days, thereby strengthening the Federation’s network, visibility and positioning on the international scene.

Three documents were adopted at the end of the Summit: The Pact for the Future (resolution A/RES/79/1 adopted without a vote by the UN General Assembly on September 22, 2024) and, as an annex to the Pact for the Future: The Global Digital Compact (GDC); and the Declaration on Future Generations.

Commitments to culture and the diversity of cultural expressions

There are many examples of commitment by Heads of State and Government around the world that are of particular interest in identifying avenues for leveraging the ‘Pact for the Future’ and the ‘Digital Compact’ in both international and national legislative, political and financial advocacy for culture and creative ecosystems.

Pact for the Future | In Chapter I | Sustainable development and financing for development, Measure 11 aims to ‘protect and promote culture […] as an integral component of sustainable development’. Under this measure, states and governments are committed to:

‘Ensure that culture […] can […] contribute to more effective, inclusive, equitable and sustainable development, and integrate culture into economic, social and environmental development policies and strategies, and ensure that public investment in the protection and promotion of culture is adequate‘ (PPA, Ch. I, M11, para. 30, a))

The Global Digital Compact (GDC) | Under the GDC, adopted as an appendix to the Pact for the Future, the states and governments of the world have set themselves 5 objectives, namely (GDC, para. 7 (Objectives)):

  1. Reduce all digital divides and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals;
  2. Make the digital economy more inclusive and bring its benefits to all;
  3. Foster an inclusive, open, safe and secure digital space that respects, protects and promotes human rights;
  4. Promote accountable, equitable and interoperable data governance models;
  5. Strengthen international governance of artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity.

International reactions

    A look back at the IFCCD’s presence at the United Nations General Assembly Summit on the Future

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    IFCCD
    4 October 2024
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