The UN Summit of the Future: What to Expect

Later this month, world leaders will convene at the United Nations for the Summit of the Future, billed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity revive multilateral cooperation. The attendees are slated to endorse a so-called Pact for the Future, a sweeping document intended to make the UN system fit for purpose in the twenty-first century. Among other ambitions, the current draft includes commitments to reform the global financial architecture, adapt the UN to new security threats, advance sustainable development, harness digital technologies, and address the needs of youth and future generations.

At the same time, important questions linger. What is the Summit’s ultimate purpose? Is the timing ripe for such an exercise, given intensifying geopolitical tensions between East and West, North and South? Finally, would the envisioned Pact help cure what ails the world? Please join Stewart Patrick, senior fellow and director of Carnegie’s Global Order and Institutions program, Anne-Marie Slaughter, Richard Gowan, and Minh-Thu Pham for a deep dive into the rationale behind the Summit and what is—and is not—likely to be included in the Pact that emerges from it.