In 2020, as part of a commemoration of the UN’s seventy-fifth anniversary, the GA adopted resolution 75/1 (A/RES/75/1) supporting reinvigorated multilateralism and strengthened international cooperation across the three core pillars of the UN. The resolution also requested the Secretary-General to report back with recommendations to “advance our common agenda and to respond to current and future challenges” (ibid., para 20). In response, the Secretary-General submitted his 2021 report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), which outlined proposals to address a range of global challenges.1 On 15 November 2021, the GA welcomed the proposals set out in Our Common Agenda and requested the President of the GA to initiate an intergovernmental process to consider its recommendations (A/RES/76/6). This initiated a multi-year intergovernmental process, involving all 193 Member States. It culminated in the Summit of the Future, a high-level event convened by the GA at its 79th session from 22 to 23 September 2024.
The President of the General Assembly at its 79th session reflected that processes like the Pact for the Future reaffirm the functions and powers of the Assembly with respect to peace and security.
The Pact for the Future was the main outcome document of the Summit of the Future. While broad in scope, the Pact contains a dedicated chapter (chapter II) on international peace and security, which recognized profound changes in the global security landscape and the complex challenges to maintaining peace and security (A/RES/79/1, paras. 32-48). Through the “action” points of the Pact, Member States committed to act in accordance with international law and the principles of the UN Charter, to fully respect principles of sovereignty and self-determination and commit to the peaceful resolution of disputes (ibid., paras. 32, 37). They also affirmed the “indispensable role” of the UN in the maintenance of peace and security, the need for greater cooperation and the “intensified use of diplomacy” (ibid., paras. 33, 37). The Pact’s action points also reinforced commitments in key thematic areas of peace and security, such as related to civilian protection in armed conflict, support to those facing humanitarian emergencies, on disarmament obligations (including elimination of nuclear weapons), on “women, peace and security”, and “youth, peace and security” (ibid., Actions 14, 15, 19, 20, 25, 26).
In action points discussing how particular tools or UN mechanisms can better respond to peace and security challenges, the Pact called for a system-wide review of all forms of UN peace operations to enable more “agile, tailored responses” (ibid., para. 42(b)), and called on States to provide assistance, including through the Peacebuilding Commission, to “nationally owned prevention efforts” and efforts to “address the root cause of violence and conflict” (ibid., para. 39(e)). The Pact also introduced new areas of emphasis, including commitments to address digital threats and emerging military technologies (ibid., para. 48), and expressed concern about the erosion of international norms governing the use of force and the implications of rising global military expenditures (ibid., para. 34(c)). Member States also committed to “comply with the decisions and uphold the mandate of the International Court of Justice” (ibid., Action 17) and “take appropriate steps” to ensure the Court can “fully and effectively discharge its mandate” (ibid., para. 38(a)).
In a separate chapter on global governance, there was substantial emphasis given to the role of the GA and its relationship with the SC (ibid., Actions 41, 42). This included commitments to further action on SC reform (ibid., Action 39), as well as to enhance “ways in which the General Assembly can contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security, in particular by taking action” (ibid., para. 70(b)). Specific provisions took note of the continued relevance of GA mechanisms such as the Uniting for Peace resolution, and the Veto Initiative (ibid., para. 69(c)).
At its 79th session, the GA adopted the Pact for the Future and its annexes (A/RES/79/1).2
Notes
- To advance the proposals of Our Common Agenda, the Secretary-General subsequently issued a series of policy briefs, including the New Agenda for Peace, which set out recommendations on prevention, peace operations, and strengthening multilateral cooperation. Several of its ideas are reflected in the Pact for the Future. See United Nations Executive Office of the Secretary-General, “A New Agenda for Peace: Our Common Agenda”, Policy Brief No. 9 (United Nations publication, 2023). ↩︎
- Resolution 79/1 was ultimately adopted without a vote. However, prior to this vote, the Russian Federation and other Member States had raised objections over the process by which the Pact was reached, and introduced an amendment to that effect (A/79/L.3). This amendment was set aside through a motion of “no action” (initiated by the Republic of the Congo on behalf of the Group of African States) that was accepted by a vote of 143 in favour, 7 against, with 15 abstentions (A/79/PV.3). ↩︎