By Johnathan Paoli
President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to represent South Africa at the United Nations Secretary-General’s flagship High-Level Summit of the Future that starts in New York on Sunday.
It aims to culminate in the adoption of a Pact for the Future (PFTF), reflecting a commitment to collective action on global challenges.
The opening segment of the two-day event will be followed by plenary meetings and interactive dialogues.
Formation of the PFTF follows months of negotiations under the leadership of permanent representatives from Germany, Namibia, Netherlands, Jamaica, Sweden and Zambia.
Philémon Yang, who recently took over as president of the seventy-ninth General Assembly, has described the pact as an opportunity for the international community to forge a new global consensus that will actively seek to transform and scale-up existing commitments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The summit has an important role to play in reaffirming the Charter of the United Nations, reinvigorating multilateralism, boosting implementation of existing commitments and goals, agreeing on concrete solutions to tackle the myriad of challenges facing the world today and restoring trust amongst member states,” he said.
The pact outlines the representatives’ aim to facilitate sustainable development and financing for development, ensure international peace and security, encourage science, technology, innovation and digital cooperation, safeguard the interests of the youth and future generations, and transform global governance.
The draft includes two annexes – the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations.
Yang has thanked both the permanent representatives and member states for their support and work ahead of the summit in establishing a draft for the consideration by the delegates.
The summit forms part of the 79th Session of the UN’s General Debate and High-Level Week in New York. Leaders will address pressing global challenges and seek collaborative solutions for the betterment of humanity.
This year, the African Group will preside over the General Assembly under the theme: “Unity in diversity, for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for everyone everywhere.”
Ramaphosa will deliver his address on Tuesday, where he will highlight key issues including international peace and security, the SDGs, climate change, financing for development, and health and pandemic preparedness.
While in New York, the president will also engage business leaders to promote South Africa as an attractive destination for foreign direct investment.
He is accompanied by a number of Cabinet ministers.
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