LocationsA once-in-a-generation opportunity to review, reflect and replan global progress on Sustainable Development Goals.
Summit of the Future: Are You Ready?
September 20, 2024
On September 21, the Summit of the Future, billed as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the international community to review, reflect, and replan, kicks off in New York. The goal is to tackle big challenges like climate change, technology, and inequality. It’s about making the world fairer, improving how governments work, and saving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Recent global crises, such as COVID-19, the Ukraine war, and environmental issues, have slowed progress, making this summit crucial.
The idea for the Summit came during the pandemic when countries struggled to cooperate. In response, UN Secretary-General António Guterres presented “Our Common Agenda,” a plan for global collaboration. The summit will end with the launch of a “Pact for the Future,” an international agreement to address climate change, future pandemics, inequalities, and economic instability.
The Summit comes at a crucial time.
As of 2024, almost half of the SDGs are making little progress, and more than a third are falling behind. The summit aims to unite countries in tackling issues like climate change, which affects 3.6 billion people, and rising inequalities, with 700 million people still living in extreme poverty.
It also aims to close the digital divide, as 2.7 billion people still lack internet access, limiting their participation in the global economy.
Conflicts and instability now affect over 100 million people worldwide. The Summit will push for global cooperation to meet these challenges and create a better future for 8 billion people.
“Last year, on the occasion of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, Member States agreed that our challenges are interconnected, across borders and all other divides. These challenges can only be addressed by an equally interconnected response, through reinvigorated multilateralism and the United Nations at the centre of our efforts,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres had said in the Common Agenda Report, explaining the idea behind the Summit of the Future.
“Humanity has shown time and time again that it is capable of great achievements when we work together. This common agenda is our road map to recapture this positive spirit and begin rebuilding our world and mending the trust in one another we need so desperately at this moment in history,” he had added.
As the summit aims to address global challenges, UNDP India has been supporting the country achieve its own development goals and plan a sustainable, equitable and inclusive future.
Building Strong Institutions for Progress
UNDP is partnering with NITI Aayog, India’s policy think tank, to build strong institutions to track and push the country toward meeting the SDGs. Together, they launched the 4th SDG India Index, a tool that tracks the performance of Indian states in achieving the SDGs. This index serves as a progress scorecard, pushing states to create better policies and ensure no one is left behind.
Empowering Women and Reducing Inequality
UNDP is also focusing on creating better economic opportunities, especially for women and marginalized communities. In Maharashtra, women are learning to farm mud crabs and restore mangroves. These activities help the environment while giving them a new income stream. Similarly, in Bihar, women farmers have been trained to use solar-powered cold storage units to store their crops longer and sell them at higher prices, increasing their income and reducing food waste. These initiatives directly contribute to SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Promoting Climate-Smart Solutions
In Telangana, UNDP is helping farmers adapt to climate change through a platform called DiCRA. This Artificial Intelligence-powered tool analyzes climate risks and helps farmers make better decisions to protect their crops. It’s part of UNDP’s commitment to promoting innovation and building resilient food systems.
Focusing on Inclusive Growth
Another priority for the UNDP is ensuring that economic growth benefits everyone, especially women. In Uttar Pradesh, for example, they’re helping women farmers break into the agricultural supply chain, traditionally dominated by men. By training women to manage farm-to-market operations, UNDP helps them get better prices for their produce and reduces the role of intermediaries.
A Path to a Sustainable Future
UNDP’s work in India shows how global cooperation can translate into local action. By focusing on building strong, accountable institutions, promoting economic opportunities for the marginalized, and advancing climate-smart solutions, UNDP is helping India make meaningful progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
As the summit draws near, it’s clear that our global challenges are interconnected, and the solutions must be, too. UNDP’s work in India shows that real progress begins at the community level, among the people, and with the right support, a sustainable future is within reach.
Meanwhile, in the lead-up to this once-in-a-generation summit, the UN held Future Action Days on September 20 and 21 bringing together voices from all walks of life——youth, private sector leaders, civil society, and government representatives- to help draft these local solutions with a global impact. The conversation during the Action days will span critical themes like digital technology, peace and security, and sustainable development.
Actor and UNDP India youth champion Sanjana Sanghi and UNDP India climate champion and content creator Prajakta Koli will participate in the action days, sharing their experiences from India. “All we ask is to be given a seat at the table of change,” Sanghi, who will open the Summit of the Future Action Days says, highlighting the vital role of the youth in these conversations.
The summit will conclude on September 23.
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