Unpacking the UN Pact for the Future and its implications for Science

In September 2024, following months of negotiations, world leaders adopted The Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations, at the United Nations General Assembly and Summit of the Future. Dubbed a “once in a generation opportunity,” the Pact of the Future is a landmark framework intended to reshape multilateral cooperation and to strengthen global governance for the sake of present and future generations. It addresses a broad range of issues including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance. As these issues are inherently interdisciplinary and science-driven, the Pact for the Future has significant implications for the global scientific community, including academies of sciences, medicine and engineering. It emphasizes the need for greater international collaboration, with science and technology highlighted as critical drivers of sustainable development and innovation.

While the commitments made at the summit aim to strengthen scientific collaboration globally, many academies of sciences may not have fully digested what it means for their work. This webinar seeks to unpack the outcomes of the Summit of the Future and the Pact for the Future, with a particular focus on their relevance to science and international scientific collaboration, and the work of national academies. Through this webinar, the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) and the International Science Council (ISC) will bring together experts on the UN system, international science policy and collaboration to discuss the opportunities and challenges ahead and provide a platform for leaders of science academies to engage and seek clarification on relevant topics. The event will be recorded and summarized on the IAP and ISC websites (see past webinars).

Registration: All participants, including speakers, should register using this link.

Format and Structure:

Date: Tuesday, 10 December 2024.
Time: 8:00 AM EST; 1:00 PM UTC/GMT.
Platform:  Virtual on Zoom.
Duration: 90 minutes.

Contact information

The webinar is organized by the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) as part of its ongoing webinar series. Inquiries should be sent to Moses Ogutu at mogutu@nas.edu or IAP Secretariat at secretariat@iapartnership.org.

Read more about this IAP Webinar here.