Philemon Yang, president of the General Assembly of the United Nations, speaks at the Summit of the Future at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 22, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

The two-day Summit of the Future concluded in the United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday evening, as a major part of the ongoing 79th UN Genernal Assembly (UNGA) with a clamor for multilateralism in the future governance of global affairs.

The summit featured the adoption of the Pact for the Future and its annexes -- the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations.

It is "a commitment to a new start in multilateralism," said a UN release. "The centerpiece of the Summit of the Future is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the multilateral system and steer humanity on a new course to meet existing commitments and solve long-term challenges."

"We stand at a crossroads of global transformation, facing unprecedented challenges that demand urgent, collective action," UNGA President Philemon Yang said at the opening segment on Sunday. "From conflict and climate change to the digital divide, from inequalities to threats against human rights, together, we all face profound challenges. Yet, alongside these challenges, there is hope."

"I called for this summit to consider deep reforms to make global institutions more legitimate, fair and effective, based on the values of the UN Charter," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the summit. "Our multilateral tools and institutions are unable to respond effectively to today's political, economic, environmental and technological challenges. And tomorrow's will be even more difficult and even more dangerous."

Speaking on behalf of the least developed countries (LDCs) group, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli said that millions of their children are hungry every day, highlighting the inequality evident around the globe.

"Nothing could be more unjust and ethnical than to be ignorant to the fact that millions of people in LDCs live in extreme poverty while a small minority in some corners of the world accumulate billions in wealth," he said.

Olaf Scholz, chancellor of Germany, urged those present to take steps towards a more peaceful, fairer world, saying that while "the road ahead is rocky," history will judge member states for their commitment to the plan at hand.

The pact can serve as a compass towards cooperation instead of conflict, showing determination to restore international justice and expelling all the talk of polarization, he added.

The Pact for the Future, covering a broad range of themes including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance, was adopted unanimously on Sunday. Over 130 heads of state and government attended the summit prepared over a period of over 1.5 years and made remarks about the documents it hammered out as its main outcome.

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