UN’s Summit of the Future

In September 2024, world leaders will gather at UN headquarters in New York for the Summit of the Future, which aims to “forge a new global consensus on what our future should look like.” Credit: OpenAI’s ChatGPT Image Generator Via United Nations

By Simone Galimberti
KATHMANDU, Nepal, Aug 5 2024 – Preparations are ongoing for the upcoming Summit of the Future, probably the most consequential initiative of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres so far.

The gathering, to be seen as a serious attempt at fixing some of the most intricate and enduring issues of our times, could help cement the Secretary General’s legacy as an idealistic architect of a stronger and more cohesive multilateral system.

To be held September 22-23, the summit will indeed provide a platform for the international community to discuss ways to strengthen and enhance global governance.

https://www.un.org/en/summit-of-the-future

Building on the proposals of Our Common Agenda, the comprehensive blueprint that Guterres presented in 2021, the gathering will see member states trying to broker an agreement on how to enhance some of the key pillars of multilateralism, fitter for the purpose.

The list of propositions is in-depth and exhaustive, covering several policy areas, namely Sustainable Development and Financing for Development; International Peace and Security; Science, Technology and Innovation and Digital Cooperation; Youth and Future Generations; Transforming Global Governance.

Each of these domains contains proposals, from restructuring the way multilateral financing system operates, including ensuring resources for the realization of the SDGs to enabling a stronger global governance centered on stronger mechanisms to prevent conflicts.

In an age of growing division, misinformation, and polarization, a new challenge paper recommends informing and engaging global citizens through innovative structural changes to the multilateral system. Credit: OpenAI’s ChatGPT Image Generator

They are now under intense negotiations and the final decisions will be contained in the Pact for the Future that is to be approved during the Summit. Yet while the aims and overarching goals of the Summit are nothing but praiseworthy, we should wonder if the proposals being discussed are truly transformational.

Moreover, linked to the above, is the international community engaged and invested enough in the discussions? What about the overall level of involvement and participation of the general public?

For sure, global civil society, from the South and the North, have been proposing a wide ranging of ideas that, if implemented, would represent a radical change.

While there is no doubt that Guterres is really trying to achieve something ambitious, at the same time none of the proposals up to discussion at the Summit for the Future represent truly game changers.

Rather they should be seen for what they are: important steps, potentially even incremental steppingstones towards much more radical and indispensable changes that the international community still unfortunately resists.

For example, the New Agenda For Peace, that is part of the package, should be considered as an entry point to start a conversation on how to tame future conflicts by promoting “whole-of-society prevention” strategies, doing a better job at protecting civilians during conflicts.

But also in this case, the Pact resembles more a list of principles, like the commitment, one of many, of “advancing with urgency discussions on lethal autonomous weapons systems” rather than truly actionable proposals.

It also focuses on strengthening mechanisms to manage disputes and improve trust, something that never can be discounted. Yet, it is harder imagining how to advance consensus on this contentious area in a time where geopolitical tensions and rivalries are rising.

But there is one priority domain for which Guterres deserves praise: putting youths first and at the center of his plans. What is noticeable is an attempt at re-thinking and re-booting the whole decision-making system by involving and engaging youths.

But, at the same time, also in this case, it is difficult to envisage any real changes beyond the semi-tokenistic proposals of Guterres like reinforcing the UN agencies ‘current modalities of working with youths. The Declaration on Future Generations, a sort of charter of rights for youths, is, unquestionably and symbolically significant but is still far from being a truly bold and transformative and lack enforcement.

Instead, what the global civil society that, to the credit of Guterres, has been fully involved and engaged in the negotiations of the Summit of the Future, is proposing is not only inspiring but also what the world is desperately in need of.

Indeed the People’s Pact for the Future, brought together by a wide ranging coalition of civil society organizations, The Coalition for the UN We need, is rich of daring ideas. It is exciting to read about establishing not only a UN Parliamentary Assembly but also other audacious solutions like creating mechanisms to involve citizens in the decisions making related to the UN, including a UN World Citizens’ Initiative.

In comparison, the propositions being discussed by the member states in the Pact for the Future are substantially too timid and, in no way, are transformative nor radical as they should be. But to me the most problematic aspect is not the inevitable lack of ambition of Guterres’s project.

After all, it was unavoidable that many details in implementing his vision, would have been constrained and limited by the complexities of international relations. What instead is disappointing is the fact that that any global meeting of such importance for the future of humanity, should have also been radical in involving the citizens of the world.

The truth is, instead, grim: despite the good intentions and a real effort at involving the civil society, there is a widespread unawareness about the whole initiative among the people. In plain terms, amidst the public, there is total lack of knowledge and information about the Summit and its agenda.

The vast majority of youths who should be leading the discussions, have not been involved as they should have been. Most of them do still ignore the Summit of the Future and the negotiations around it. I do not doubt that, all over the world, the UN Country Offices might have tried to engage and consult some of them in some discussions.

But the magnitude of the initiative and the topics to be discussed, no matter how, at the end of the day, are dealt with weakened and flaw propositions, should have deserved much a stronger participation of youths.

The United Nations, in partnerships with civil society organizations in the South and North of the world, should have planned and carried out a much more robust exercise in terms of consulting and engaging young people.

Imagine how transformative would have been to organize consultations at school levels where students could have discussed their priorities and come up with their own solutions. With the proper political will and preparation, such exercises could have represented a new benchmark in terms of innovative ways of consulting and engaging with youths.

The hope is that the efforts being put to organize the Summit of the Future and the energies being spent to negotiate the Pact for the Future, will at least open a new chapter not only at nudging nations to deal with complex issues but at doing so through a completely novel bottom-up approach.

Indeed, the Summit of the Future might be remembered not for what will have achieved. Instead, the whole process that had started with Our Common Agenda, could be remembered for heralding an era where tough issues are tackled differently and more inclusively.

Engaging and involving those who, at the moment, are excluded from the decision making, the people and among them, especially the youths, should become the moral imperative to overcome the biggest challenges faced by humanity.

This is what the immense and far-ranging agenda being pushed by Guterres should be probably remembered for.

Simone Galimberti writes about the SDGs, youth-centered policy-making and a stronger and better United Nations.

IPS UN Bureau

 


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BASF Catalysts India Private Limited inaugurates a new RD&A lab for automotive emissions control solutions

CHENNAI, India, Aug. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BASF Catalysts India Private Limited (BCIL), a subsidiary of BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS), has inaugurated a new Research, Development and Application (RD&A) lab at its site in Mahindra World City, Tamil Nadu, Chennai. The strategic investment is focused on the development of emissions control catalysts that are tailored to the unique needs of the Indian automotive market.

“This new RD&A lab will enable the development of market–specific catalyst formulations that meet the unique needs of the Indian market with agility and flexibility,” said Saeed Alerasool, Senior Vice President of RD&A for ECMS. “With this investment, ECMS is well positioned to help our customers respond to changes resulting from fuel diversification as well as stricter tailpipe emissions requirements, and ensures our readiness to support future automotive technologies.”

The opening of the new lab is a pivotal step aligned with India’s evolving automotive industry and the Indian government’s focus on diversifying fuel sources including further adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and renewable biofuels and hydrogen. This requires local Original Equipment Manufacturers to launch flex–fuel vehicles capable of running on any biofuel–gasoline mix. Additionally, the upcoming stricter emissions requirements pose new challenges for automakers in India.

“With this new lab within our Chennai site, BCIL is able to provide end–to–end support to our customers, from initial catalyst development to final product delivery,” said Sujan Saha, Business Head India and Head of South East Asia, Mobile Emissions Catalysts. “This also enhances our local ability to cater to the specific needs of Indian customers and address their needs more quickly.”

Dirk Bremm, President and CEO of ECMS (front right) and Saeed Alerasool, Senior Vice President of RD&A for ECMS (front left), inaugurated the opening of the new RD&A lab in Chennai, India. They were joined by other ECMS leaders including Daniel Wussow, Senior Vice President of Mobile Emissions Catalysts (middle left) and Sujan Saha, Business Head India and Head of South East Asia, Mobile Emissions Catalysts (left of Saeed).

About BASF Catalysts India Private Limited
BASF Catalysts India Private Limited (BCIL), the Indian subsidiary of BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS), is a leading provider of catalysts for the Indian automotive market. Starting its operations in 1998, BCIL was a pioneer in the automotive emissions industry with the first catalyst manufacturing plant in India. BCIL manufactures and supplies emissions control catalysts for the automotive market from its site in Mahindra World City, south of Chennai. The research and development of mobile emissions catalysts is supported by six global RD&A centres across ECMS.

About BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions
Leveraging its deep expertise as a global leader in catalysis and precious metals, BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS) serves customers in many industries including automotive, aerospace, indoor air quality, semiconductors, and hydrogen economy, and provides full loop services with its precious metals trading and recycling offering. With a focus on circular solutions and sustainability, ECMS is committed to helping our customers create a cleaner, more sustainable world. Protecting the elements of life is our purpose and this inspires us to ever–new solutions. ECMS operates globally in 16 countries with over 4,500 employees and 21 production sites.

Media Relations Contact
Joy Zhang
Phone: +86 19121028317
joy.zhang@basf–catalystsmetals.com
Additional Contact
Bonnie Lou
Phone: +86 18521573405
bonnie.lou@basf–catalystsmetals.com
BASF (Shanghai) Management Co., Ltd.,
No. 239 Luqiao Road
201206 Shanghai, China
www.basf.com/ecms
     

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8cdbcd46–d725–4405–a875–3bfdf55aeabe


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