Director-General's remarks at the UNOG-NGIC High-Level Meeting “The Future of Multilateralism: The Summit of the Future and the Need for a New Global Pact for International Cooperation”

UNOG – NGIC High-Level Meeting: “The Future of Multilateralism:

The Summit of the Future and the Need for a New Global Pact for International Cooperation"

Room XXII, Palais des Nations

Thursday, 11 January 2024, at 09:50

Excellencies,

Distinguished panelists,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Welcome to the Palais des Nations. It is a great pleasure for me to open this High-Level Meeting on the theme “The Future of Multilateralism: The Summit of the Future and the Need for a New Global Pact for International Cooperation.”

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the Nizami Ganjavi International Center and to its Co-Chairs, Her Excellency Ms. Vaira Vike-Freiberga and Dr. Ismail Serageldin, for organizing this event and for our excellent longstanding collaboration. Over the past years, we had several opportunities to exchange our views on the most pressing issues of the global agenda: here in Geneva and during the annual editions of the Global Baku Forum. 

Today and tomorrow, our distinguished speakers, who include former Heads of States and Government, will share their viewpoints on today's global challenges and multilateral solutions to fix a broken world. Let me briefly comment on the priority areas to be discussed in six panels:

The first panel will focus on financing for the Sustainable Development Goals. Financing for development is, to quote the Secretary-General, “the fuel that drives progress on the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.” The mid-point review of the 2030 Agenda last year has shown that the progress on our most fundamental priorities – poverty and hunger – has gone into reverse for the first time in decades. The SDG financing gap is widening year by year. Developing countries face borrowing costs up to eight times higher than those of European countries. Moreover, we are witnessing a crushing debt crisis with some 3.3 billion people – almost half of humanity – who live in countries that spend more on debt interest payments than on education or health. With almost 40 percent of the developing world living in a serious debt trouble, we urgently need to reform the outdated global financial architecture. In this regard, I would like to recall the Secretary-General’s concrete proposal for a new global financial stability, which would include the SDG Stimulus mechanism and a comprehensive reform of international financial institutions. 

The second panel will discuss the ways to reform the global governance architecture to meet the demands of today and tomorrow. It is clear that the United Nations and other multilateral institutions, created in the past century, urgently needs a profound rebuilding. The challenge is to operate in a world, which is extremely interconnected and interdependent, where national frontiers are no longer barriers to economic exchange, where decision-making is more decentralized, where the voices of all the nations are taken into account, and where societies are more inclusive. I am also looking forward to listening to the recommendations of our distinguished panelists on how to repair the erosion of trust in multilateral institutions — at the national, regional and global levels and create new momentum for sustainable development, peace and human rights. 

This brings me to the third panel which is about disarmament and the new agenda for peace. The world faced many trials and tests in 2023, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and the renewed Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in addition to multiple other conflicts. The current peace and security architecture continues to erode before our eyes, leaving behind chaos and new hotbeds of tension. To overcome today’s geopolitical divides, we need more - not less - international cooperation, and a strengthened, impactful multilateral system. We also need to strengthen the work of the Conference on Disarmament as the world's single multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations. Reforming the disarmament machinery is one of the Secretary-General’s recommendations set out in his New Agenda for Peace, which was presented to Member States in July 2023. As the Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament, I am looking forward to listening to your recommendations on how to revitalize the work of this intergovernmental body and to fulfil its mandate. 

The fourth panel will discuss global health issues, including equity and the right to health. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare stark disparities in healthcare systems between developed and developing countries. The intergovernmental negotiations on the pandemic preparedness treaty have substantially advanced last year, and the text of the agreement is expected to be presented at the next World Health Assembly in Geneva in May 2024.  

The fifth panel will focus on the rights of future generations. There are close to 2 billion young people in the world today, 90 percent of whom live in developing countries. This is the largest generation of young people in history. If the meaningful investments in youth are made, and their social, political and economic engagements are recognized and nurtured, societies may reap the dividends of lasting peace and sustainable development. The rights of future generations should be systematically considered in all decision-making processes. 

Finally, the sixth panel will address the issues related to the global digital compact, new technologies and Artificial Intelligence. Everyone is impacted by digital technologies, and everyone has a role to play in shaping the digital future. As you know, one of the expected outcomes of the Summit of the Future is the adoption of a Global Digital Compact ,which should underscore shared principles for an open, free and secure digital future for all.

Excellencies, 

Ladies and gentlemen,

We all agree that global challenges need to be addressed in a coordinated and effective manner. We also agree that multilateral cooperation will only be effective if it includes a diverse spectrum of stakeholders who are usually under-represented in decision-making: civil society organizations, youth groups, academia, and the private sector. Today’s high-level event provides an opportunity to not only thoroughly discuss the most pressing global challenges, but also to explore what we can do together to reverse the dangerous megatrends and put our world back on track towards peace, stability and opportunity for all. 

Thank you.