Shaping Our Common Future: Youth-Driven Actions and Global Collaboration at the UN Summit of the Future
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for actions to reorganize UN agencies to include youth, balance the percentage of UN staff representing young people, and unleash their potential at the UN Summit of the Future Action Days.
I am deeply honored to represent SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) as a UNA-USA National Council Member and a UNA-USA delegate. The summit kicked off with an inspiring opening ceremony, followed by a packed schedule addressing critical global issues for the 2030 Agenda, and wrapped up with the closing ceremony.
The 2030 Agenda remains the world’s roadmap for ending poverty, protecting the planet, and tackling inequalities. The 17 SDGs, the cornerstone of this Agenda, offer the most practical and effective pathway to address the root causes of violent conflict, human rights abuses, climate change, and environmental degradation, aiming to ensure that no one is left behind.
Day 1 focused on youth-led actions:
- Gender Equality for Adolescent Girls and Young Women
- An Inclusive Digital Future for All
- Intergenerational Solidarity and Equity for a Shared Future
- Foresight in Climate and Environmental Sustainability
- Governance for Human Rights, Peace, Security, and Political Processes
- Innovative Solutions in Humanitarian Action
Day 2:
- A Digital Future for All
- A Peaceful Future for All
- A Sustainable Future for All
Highlights:
At the “Digital Future for All” session, ministers from Singapore, Sweden, Zambia, and other nations joined forces with major tech companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time—governing AI for the benefit of humanity.
Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, announced a groundbreaking commitment of $120 million for AI education and training worldwide. Furthermore, the release of the “Governing AI for Humanity” framework was unveiled during the summit.
James Manyika from Google emphasized that multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential to ensure the responsible development and use of AI. This includes transparency, trust, and accountability to end users.
The principles of Trust, Universality, and Solidarity, derived from A New Agenda for Peace, alongside the 2030 Agenda’s focus on multi-stakeholder partnerships and sustainable development financing, are central to turbocharging progress on the SDGs.
The summit concluded with a message of hope from ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. She encouraged us to continue this momentum by supporting youth-led and youth-centered organizations and initiatives to integrate economic growth, social well-being, and environmental protection, leaving no one behind. Although we are behind schedule on the 2030 Agenda, we can still achieve our goals through intergenerational, multidisciplinary collaborations for our shared future.
