New York, USA - The Summit for the Future, held on 20-21 September 2024, brought together world leaders to forge a new international consensus aimed at addressing urgent global challenges and ensuring a sustainable future. The Summit was prompted by the Our Common Agenda report, responding to UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call for innovative solutions to contemporary issues. It emphasized the vital need for renewed trust and solidarity among nations to navigate the complexities of our times.

During the Summit, leaders convened at the United Nations to adopt the Pact for the Future, an agreement among UN Member States that marks a significant step toward enhancing global multilateral cooperation. The Pact for the Future includes the Global Digital Compact to create an inclusive framework for addressing digital data and innovation divides, promoting a human-centered digital future aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. It also includes the Declaration on Future Generations, developed through consultations with Member States and stakeholders, emphasizing the need to fulfill commitments to future generations.

The Pact addresses escalating challenges, including climate change, rising inequalities, and conflicts, outlining 56 actions that countries have committed to undertake. These actions are designed to protect the needs and interests of present and future generations while strengthening collective efforts to turbocharge the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by 2030 and beyond. The Pact focuses on five main areas: Sustainable Development and Financing for Development, International Peace and Security, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Digital Cooperation, Youth and Future Generations, and Transforming Global Governance.

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, addressing the Summit’s plenary, emphasized the Pact's commitment to equitable agrifood systems. He noted that hunger has risen since 2015, with over 730 million people facing hunger in 2023.

“We are not on track to achieving any global SDG targets, and we see that huge inequalities persist along various dimensions – including wealth, gender, rural areas, and in accessing assets and opportunities” QU stated. “The future will be determined by more equitable agrifood systems, and I am pleased that this is recognized by the Pact for the Future.”

Action 3 of the Pact sets out a clear commitment to end hunger and eliminate food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition. It calls for a transformation in global agrifood systems to build more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food production systems. FAO’s technical expertise in sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and food security positions the organization at the forefront of these efforts. FAO’s strategic partnerships with international financial institutions (IFIs) and other UN agencies, as highlighted in the Pact, will be instrumental in scaling up these efforts and delivering impactful results at the country level. IFIs provide essential funding for agricultural infrastructure and technology, enabling transformation of agrifood systems. These collaborations enhance technical expertise and capacity building to implement effective policies that directly impact food security. By facilitating effective monitoring and evaluation strategies, these alliances will strengthen FAO’s capacity to address food security challenges and advance the global agenda to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Action 12 plays a crucial role in reaffirming the global commitment to sustainable development, inviting the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), under the General Assembly, to convene in September 2027. The aim of this session is to evaluate how we will continue advancing sustainable development by 2030 and beyond, ensuring it remains a priority and central to global governance efforts. This step reinforces the need for nations to not only assess their progress but also recalibrate their strategies to address emerging challenges.

The Pact also calls for comprehensive support for countries and communities affected by food insecurity through interventions such as the provision of emergency food supplies, enhanced agricultural production, and strengthened resilience against shocks (Action 15). This resonates with FAO’s ongoing efforts to build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agrifood systems, ensuring access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food for all, particularly in vulnerable and crisis-affected regions. 

Furthermore, Action 29 underscores the importance of enhancing science, technology, and innovation capacities in developing countries, critical for achieving sustainable agrifood system transformation. 

Action 55 of the Pact highlights the critical importance of promoting partnerships and enhancing UN collaboration, recognizing that joint efforts are vital for advancing sustainable and inclusive solutions to global challenges. The challenges faced today require cooperation not only across borders but across all sectors of society. Efforts must involve Governments, parliaments, the United Nations system, other international institutions, local authorities, Indigenous Peoples, and civil society stakeholders.

Three key areas of Action for FAO: