Director-General's message for the closing of the High-level Event "Intergenerational Perspectives: Our Duties to the Future"

High-level Event "Intergenerational Perspectives: Our Duties to the Future" 
Building Bridges Summit 2024

Tuesday, 10 December 2024, at 6.45 p.m.
CICG, Varembé Conference Centre - Room A

Delivered on behalf of the Director-General by Ms. Özge Aydogan, Director, the Beyond Lab, Office of the Director-General

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the Director-General, Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, who could not join us this evening, it is a pleasure for me to close this High-level Event on the theme “Intergenerational Perspectives: Our Duties to the Future” at this fifth edition of Building Bridges.

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Building Bridges, Mr. André Hoffmann, and the Geneva Graduate Institute, for co-organizing this event and for our excellent collaboration, today and in the future.

As we end today’s important discussions on duties to the future and fostering intergenerational leadership, I express my gratitude for your engaging participation and dynamic contributions.

As we have heard this evening, leaders of today and tomorrow face the critical task of reimagining our shared future and redesigning our systems, above all our economic and financial systems, to account for human and planetary wellbeing.

Today’s high-level event has reminded us that inter-generationally equitable leadership is about considering the long-term impact and spillover effects of our decisions and actions by upholding values that prioritizes the needs of people and the planet. It is about balancing the short with the long-term. And it is about creating capital for sustainable development that is comprehensive and holistic and goes beyond the current focus on economic and financial gains.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Pact for the Future provide a clear vision and roadmap for a more networked, effective, fair, and inclusive world, grounded in the UN Charter, where both current and future generations thrive. And as we move into 2025, the Financing for Development Conference in Sevilla, Spain, will provide an opportunity to leverage that vision in shaping how we finance the assets for a sustainable future.

The Pact for the Future, with its Declaration on Future Generations, opens pathways to new possibilities and opportunities. The future is not something we can passively await; it is something we must actively shape. And in this, young leaders—who bring with them a sense of urgency and innovation—must be empowered and made visible to take on their roles, alongside seasoned leaders, to drive this change forward, while acknowledging future generations.

The conversations today have also been a clear echo of the urgency of delivering on our duties to the future by making sustainability the defining principle in the way we organise our economies, our political systems and our societies. Here, there is much we can learn from indigenous practices and leaders such as Xiye Bastida, their thinking (such as the 7 generations principle) and their relationship with the planet as guardians of sustainable futures.

In view of all the challenges we are facing, we recognize that no single generation can or should shoulder this responsibility alone. The actions we take today need to bridge generational divides, embracing both the wisdom of the past and the innovation of the future.

The United Nations at Geneva remains deeply committed to providing platforms for inter-generational dialogue and meaningful youth engagement. One such platform is the Beyond Lab’s What’s Next series, as well as the Youth Moving Beyond GDP initiative in partnership with UN Trade & Development and Rethinking Economics International.

As the world’s youth have shown time and again, they possess not only the passion and creativity to solve complex problems, but also the will to inspire meaningful change. And inspiration is what we often lack these days. In this effort, the UN will continue to support youth leadership, providing spaces for dialogue and action. We must ensure that youth are not merely participants in the future we envision, but key drivers of that future, now.

As we close today’s event, let us remember that the success of our endeavours rests on our collective strength, and our ability to imagine that a different, sustainable world is possible. We must remain united in our shared duty to build it. Today’s discussions are a key element in a chain of effect, a longer journey, and it is up to all of us—today’s leaders, tomorrow’s leaders, and those yet to come—to ensure that this commitment is put into practice. 

I invite you to carry the principles of today’s dialogue forward, continuing to work together to build the bridges that will connect us across generations. This is paramount to ensuring a sustainable future for all and responding to the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow.

Thank you.