Cities Alliance at the Summit of the Future 2024

Cities Alliance is participating in the Summit of the Future, a landmark UN event that will bring together world leaders to accelerate progress towards fulfilling international commitments and rebuild trust in global cooperation. 

The Summit aims to address long-standing concerns about the effectiveness of international institutions and tackle emerging challenges and opportunities through concrete action to foster cooperation and sustainable development.

This will be achieved through an action-oriented outcome document, the Pact for the Future, which will focus on five main areas: sustainable development and financing; peace and security; a digital future for all; youth and future generations; and global governance. Key issues such as human rights, gender equality, and climate action will underpin all discussions.

The world is currently off track in meeting the goals we have set, and we are not fully addressing new challenges or seizing emerging opportunities. 

The speed and complexity of global developments have outpaced our systems of cooperation, leaving many behind. 

As humanity faces rising extreme poverty, record-high global emissions, and unprecedented levels of displacement. The threats posed by climate change, conflict, food insecurity, pandemics, and the risks associated with new technologies continue to grow.

Multilateral governance structures, designed for a simpler era, are ill-equipped to handle today’s interconnected and rapidly evolving world. The Summit of the Future offers a critical opportunity to reset our trajectory and steer towards a more just, equitable, and sustainable future.

The Summit of the Future will take place on 22–23 September 2024 as part of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. Preceding the Summit, Summit Action Days will be held on 20–21 September, providing an additional opportunity for broad engagement and the inclusion of stakeholders who have played a key role in shaping the Pact for the Future and will be critical to its implementation. 

Cities Alliance will be actively engaged throughout the week, with Director Greg Munro and President Maria Fernanda Espinosa participating in a series of events:

Dr Greg Munro

Thursday, 19 September 

11:00 – 13:30 / 15:00 – 18:00 EDT World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments. The WALRG serves as a self-organized political platform where the Local and Regional Governments constituency convenes to contribute to global agendas in dialogue with the UN system and other international partners. Venue: UN Headquarters, CR3.  Watch the livestream on UN web TV.

Ms Maria Fernanda Espinosa

Thursday, 19 September 

9:00 – 14:30 EDT Second United Nations Charter: Modernizing the UN for a New Generation. Organized by Global Governance Forum and Baha’i International Community. Ms Espinosa will participate in Panel 3: New Institutions and Arrangements, discussing how new institutions can advance global wellbeing and the need for UN Charter reform.
Venue: 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 120. Register.

Friday, 20 September

8:30 – 10:00 EDT Road to the Summit Discussion Series, Session 16: Beyond September - After the Summit of the Future. This session will focus on post-Summit actions, shared narratives, and next steps for continued progress. Open discussion for civil society, UN agencies, and Member State missions. Register.

10:45 – 12:15 EDT Promoting Racial Representation in Global Decision-Making: The Role of the UN. Organized by Plataforma CIPÓ and Instituto Decodifica. A roundtable discussing racial representation in global governance and the UN's role in fostering inclusive decision-making. Launch of CIPÓ’s study on racial representation within the UN. Register.

9:00 – 18:00 EDT A High-Level Pre-Summit of the Future - Session Turning the Tide: Exploring the Ethical, Political, and Practical Dimensions of Global Peace and Security. Organized by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
Venue: Columbia University Faculty House, New York. Livestream.

17:00 – 18:00 EDT The Future of the Amazon: Launch of the SPA Youth Advisory Committee. Organized by the Science Panel for the Amazon. Launch event featuring young leaders committed to Amazon conservation.
Venue: Volvo Hall, Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue NY 10016. Register / Livestream / Watch the recording. 

Saturday, 21 September

11:15 – 12:30 EDT The Road through the Summit of the Future: Generating ImPact from the Pact for the Future. Organized by the Coalition for the UN We Need and the Global Governance Innovation Network. This side event will focus on new initiatives, global agreements, and the next steps for impact after the Summit of the Future.
Venue: UN Headquarters, CR1. Register.

13:00 – 14:15 EDT Pact for the Future and Beyond: Towards the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development.
Hosted by the International Financial Architecture Reform and Financing for Development Impact Coalition, focusing on financial system reform and climate action.
Venue: UN Headquarters, CR11. Register.

Sunday, 22 September

16:00 – 18:00 EDT High-level Roundtable at the UN Summit of the Future 2024. Convened by Earth4All, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Planetary Guardians, Future Earth, and others, the roundtable will focus on pathways to global peace, climate action, and governance reforms.
Venue: Virgin Hotel,1227 Broadway, New York, NY 10001. Learn more.

Monday, 23 September

9:00 – 10:30 EDT Strategizing on Addressing the Planetary Emergency and Unlocking Opportunities for an Exponential Just Transition. Organized by the Climate Governance Commission, Exponential Roadmap Initiative, and others, focusing on global governance reforms for addressing climate and biodiversity crises.
Venue: Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) Headquarters, 60 E 42nd St, Ste 450, New York. Hybrid event. Livestream.

Tuesday, 24 September

15:00 – 15:20 EDT Navigating a New Global Security Era: Women in Leadership. Part of the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit. A panel discussion on female leadership in global security.
Venue: Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. Register.

16:50 – 17:10 EDT Unlocking Impact: How Project Management Drives the UN SDGs. Part of the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit. A panel highlighting the role of strategic project management in driving transformative initiatives and advancing the SDGs.
Venue: Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. Register.

Wednesday, 25 September

11:00 – 17:30 EDT Bridges and Barriers to Fossil Fuel Phase Out. Organized by the Fossil Fuel Commission. Discussions on pathways to a just, timely, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels.
Venue: Elsie Rooftop, 1412 Broadway (at 39th), 24th floor, New York. Register.