UN’s Summit of the Future

Rotary International is participating in a series of United Nations Town Hall meetings leading up to the Summit of the Future. The meetings began in support of the 2024 UN Civil Society Conference (CSC), which was held 9-10 May in Nairobi, Kenya and demonstrated the power of civil society to contribute to the intergovernmental process. The results of the CSC included the creation of 20 new “Impact Coalitions” designed to advance a range of topics expected to be central to the success of the Summit’s outcome — the proposed Pact for the Future.

The conference brought together over 2,000 delegates representing 115 nationalities from civil society, governments, the United Nations, youth, academia, media, and other stakeholders. They were engaged in interactive dialogues and 37 workshops and exhibits. Nearly half of the registrants were youth ranging in age from 18-34. The CSC provided the opportunity for civil society voices to identify ways to rethink processes and find better ways to collaborate and network for greater impact and effective implementation.

The results derived from the CSC consist of summaries and recommendations from many stakeholders and will be presented at the next United Nations Town Hall meeting on May 31st. The United Nations Secretary-General stated that the Summit of the Future is coming at a pivotal time for international systems, and this is a “breakdown or breakthrough” moment.

The overarching purpose of the Summit and the Pact is to reaffirm the UN Charter, reinvigorate multilateralism, boost the implementation of existing commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals, and agree on solutions to new challenges.