New York, 22 September 2024 – World leaders today adopted a Pact for the Future that includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. This Pact is the culmination of an inclusive, years-long process to adapt international cooperation to the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow. The most wide-ranging international agreement in many years, covering entirely new areas as well as issues on which agreement has not been possible in decades, the Pact aims above all to ensure that international institutions can deliver in the face of a world that has changed dramatically since they were created. As the Secretary-General has said, “we cannot create a future fit for our grandchildren with a system built by our grandparents.”
 
Overall, the agreement of the Pact is a strong statement of countries’ commitment to the United Nations, the international system and international law.  Leaders set out a clear vision of an international system that can deliver on its promises, is more representative of today’s world and draws on the energy and expertise of governments, civil society and other key partners.
 
“The Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations open the door to new opportunities and untapped possibilities,” said the Secretary-General during his remarks at the opening of the Summit of the Future. The President of the General Assembly noted that the Pact would “lay the foundations for a sustainable, just, and peaceful global order – for all peoples and nations.”
 
The Pact covers a broad range of issues including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance. Key deliverables in the Pact include:
 
In the area of peace and securityThe most progressive and concrete commitment to Security Council reform since the 1960s, with plans to improve the effectiveness and representativeness of the Council, including by redressing the historical under-representation of Africa as a priority.The first multilateral recommitment to nuclear disarmament in more than a decade, with a clear commitment to the goal of totally eliminating nuclear weapons.Agreement to strengthen international frameworks that govern outer space, including a clear commitment to prevent an arms race in outer space and the need to ensure all countries can benefit from the safe and sustainable exploration of outer space.Steps to avoid the weaponization and misuse of new technologies, such as lethal autonomous weapons, and affirmation that the laws of war should apply to many of these new technologies.  
On sustainable development, climate and financing for developmentThe entire Pact is designed to turbo-charge implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.The most detailed agreement ever at the United Nations on the need for reform of the international financial architecture so that it better represents and serves developing countries, including: Giving developing countries a greater say in how decisions are taken at international financial institutions;Mobilizing more financing from multilateral development banks to help developing countries meet their development needs;Reviewing the sovereign debt architecture to ensure that developing countries can borrow sustainably to invest in their future, with the IMF, UN, G20 and other key players working together;Strengthening the global financial safety net to protect the poorest in the event of financial and economic shocks, through concrete actions by the IMF and Member States;and accelerating measures to address the challenge of climate change, including through delivering more finance to help countries adapt to climate change and invest in renewable energy.    Improving how we measure human progress, going beyond GDP to capturing human and planetary wellbeing and sustainability.A commitment to consider ways to introduce a global minimum level of taxation on high-net-worth individuals.On climate change, confirmation of the need to keep global temperature rise to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. 
On digital cooperationThe Global Digital Compact, annexed to the Pact, is the first comprehensive global framework for digital cooperation and AI governance.At the heart of the Compact is a commitment to design, use and govern technology for the benefit of all. This includes commitments by world leaders to: Connect all people, schools and hospitals to the Internet;Anchor digital cooperation in human rights and international law;Make the online space safe for all, especially children, through actions by governments, tech companies and social media;Govern Artificial Intelligence, with a roadmap that includes an International Scientific Panel and a Global Policy Dialogue on AI;Make data more open and accessible, with agreements on open-source data, models, and standards;This is also the first global commitment to data governance, placing it on the UN agenda and requiring countries to take concrete actions by 2030. 
Youth and future generationsThe first ever Declaration on Future Generations, with concrete steps to take account of future generations in our decision-making, including a possible envoy for future generations.A commitment to more meaningful opportunities for young people to participate in the decisions that shape their lives, especially at the global level. 
Human rights and genderA strengthening of our work on human rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women.A clear call on the need to protect human rights defenders.Strong signals on the importance of engagement of other stakeholders in global governance, including local and regional governments, civil society, private sector and others. 
There are provisions across the Pact and its annexes for follow-up action, to ensure that the commitments made are implemented.
 
Summit Process
The Summit process and the Pact have been deeply enriched by the contributions of millions of voices and thousands of stakeholders from around the world.

The Summit brought together over 4000 individuals from Heads of State and Government, observers, IGOs, UN System, civil society and non-governmental organizations. In a broader push to increase the engagement of diverse actors, the formal Summit was preceded by the Action Days from 20-21 September, which attracted more than 7,000 individuals representing all segments of society. The Action Days featured strong commitments to action by all stakeholders, as well as pledges of USD 1.05 billion to advance digital inclusion.### 
For more information:  https://www.un.org/en/summit-of-the-future
Media contacts:
Francyne Harrigan, United Nations Department of Global Communications | harriganf@un.org
Stefania Piffanelli, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, United Nations | piffanelli@un.org
Jackquelyn Kay Topacio, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, United Nations | jackquelyn.topacio@un.org

 

"Participating in political processes where change is initiated and decisions are made whether at the local, regional or national level is the most powerful platform for change. Representative bodies should reflect the structure of the population. As we are collecting data on the population that is gender disaggregated, we should do something with it to enable everyone exercise equally their human rights. The right to political participation is one of the basic rights and that is a sufficient reason not to deny it to women. Political participation itself does not guarantee power and influence, but it is a basic prerequisite.On the Serbian political scene, women are generally not competing with their male counterparts. As if there is an A list or the first league which is male and a B or second league which is female. I believe that no man sees a woman as competition, regardless of what qualifications she has, because he is aware that he is always in a better position. On the other hand, a woman with a disability can eventually see another woman as competition, although due to the double discrimination she is facing, she belongs to a third league. A woman with disability is at a disadvantage compared to a man on at least two grounds- as a woman and as a person with disability.Earlier in my career, when I was a parliamentary member, I had proposed amendments to the Law on the Election of Members of Parliament, which stipulated the obligation of political parties to nominate at least one person with disability who would be guaranteed seat in the Parliament if the party passes the minimum stipulated threshold. Not a single argument was received to challenge this proposal, but the proposed amendments were not accepted in the end. The quota system is a good initial affirmative measure as it would otherwise be difficult to motivate women with disabilities to enter a race that is already lost. In addition, it is necessary to consider amending the Law on the financing of political activities and providing additional financial resources to political parties that have a delegate with a disability. Actively engaging in politics, which is more than exercising the right to vote, is a job or a profession like any other. It requires full commitment of the people who deal with it. In a rather patriarchal society such as ours, women are facing gender-imposed roles- all household and family responsibilities burden women to a greater extent, and this work is also unpaid, not leaving much room for a career. Women with disabilities are additionally facing physical and communication barriers as well as barriers in attitudes among general population. In addition, basic things such as accessible public transport, accessible facilities, accessible information, support services and affirmative programs for greater participation of women with disabilities in political and public life are missing.On the other hand, in the context of women in politics, violence in the digital sphere is extremely present, because we live in a culture of reduced tolerance. Many people post things they would never say in person. In some countries there are initiatives to adopt laws against hate speech on the Internet. In addition to legislation changes, constant campaigns are needed that draw attention to all the dangers of cyber violence, both for the perpetrator and the victim.Moreover, it is extremely important what kind of message representatives of the highest state institutions are sending. In this regard, we have two very significant and positive things in Serbia. One is that the Law on Gender Equality was adopted in the Republic of Serbia in 2021, and the other is that a Ministry was formed in the newly elected Government to deal with gender equality. This sends a strong message that the state recognizes the importance of the issue, but also that it will systematically work to create conditions towards full gender equality."

"Doing politics means deciding on the socio-political context in which we will be living thus having a direct impact on the quality of our life. For this reason, it is very important that women play an active role in creating conditions for gender equality and opportunities for the development of conditions for a better and equal treatment of women.More and more women are getting involved in political life albeit many of them, unfortunately, pro forma- for the sake of fulfilling a certain quota. We can prevent this kind of abuse of gender equality mechanisms by promoting and showcasing examples of women who fought for decision-making positions and paved the way for other women to follow in their footsteps. However, when we look at the percentage of women in the total population, and then on the other hand, we look at the percentage of women present in institutions and in decision-making positions, we will understand that these two percentages are not only not equal, but that there is a drastic difference and much smaller number of women included in the decision-making processes.The most common obstacles and challenges women in politics are facing include prejudices and stereotypes about women, their competences, and reasons for involvement in political life. If it is about younger women, experience and knowledge are the first to be questioned. On the other hand, balancing between political engagement and family obligations is the biggest challenge for women who have families and wish to be active in political arena. Even with great motivation and knowledge, it is extremely difficult for women to be politically active if they do not have great support from their partners, family, and the entire system.Moreover, for women in politics, we often hear comments on their appearance. Social networks have brought a large amount of unsanctioned freedom to spread hate speech that is often directed at women, especially women who are vocal in expressing their views and active in political life. Not infrequently, hate speech that spreads on social networks can turn into a hate crime, which especially affects the safety of women. Hate crimes are regulated by Article 54a of the Criminal Code, while violence in the digital world has yet to be regulated. One of the possibilities would be the recognition of digital violence by the Criminal Code and the provision of certain sanctions for such behavior.The corona virus pandemic has brought us some new perspectives on leadership and the role of political leaders. I would say that it also brought awareness to the necessity of including women and positioning women in places where certain decisions are made. However, the world of politics is still the most closed sphere for women. In some other areas, such as health and education, we have made more progress.For all these reasons, advocating for the equal participation of women in politics is our moral obligation, but also a prerequisite for a prosperous future for all of us. An equal society is not possible without both women and men being equally involved in designing the future, development, and prosperity."

The United Nations Agency for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Serbia (UN Women) and the Association of Serbian Women Scientists (SRNA) marked the National Day of Gender Equality on Tuesday, June 11 in Novi Sad with an event entitled "Overcoming gender inequalities and gender stereotypes in science".According to Milana Rikanović, director of UN Women in Serbia, we often forget and underestimate the power of science and innovation in reshaping the world and the way we live, and we often take for granted various innovative solutions that have completely changed and improved the position of women, and we don't know that women are behind many of these solutions."For women and girls around the world, these changes have brought new freedoms, new forms of access to information and new opportunities. And yet, we continue to witness numerous harmful gender stereotypes and gender inequality in this area as well," said Rikanović.Although UNESCO research shows that Serbia and many countries of the former Yugoslavia lead in the number of female scientists, they are still underrepresented and visible facing a number of challenges. Olja Šovljanski, research associate at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, says that one of the challenges includes the removal from projects the moment women go on maternity leave, but also the failure of businessmen to recognize that a woman can also contribute to innovations. "These are just a couple out of many challenges we encounter in our everyday life and therefore we are struggling to get some support and change this," Šovljanski noted.Prof. Dr. Jovana Grahovac from SRNA says that when we look at the career trajectories of women and men, women have a longer period of stagnation in the development of their careers, but that the position of women in science has slightly improved."The position of female scientists has been improved to the extent that their employment contracts are no longer tied to projects but are institutionally financed, which definitely contributes to their financial stability in the working environment, but there is still plenty of room for improvement," Grahovac emphasized.Tatjana Macura, minister without portfolio in charge of gender equality, called on all women and girls to report any violation of the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination "because the competent institutions will not be able to react if the violation of this law and other regulations are not implemented." The minister also called on the primary school students present at the event to use the national platform for the prevention and elimination of violence involving children called "Čuvam te" (I'm watching you).The National Day of Gender Equality was established in 2021 by the Government of the Republic of Serbia with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of gender equality and improving the position of women in Serbia. June 11 was chosen as the day when in 1842, girls' education was approved for the first time in Serbia. Namely, by decree of Prince Mihailo Obrenović, Natalija Petrović, Sofija and Katarina Lekić were approved to open a school for girls.