Angel Alonso Arroba, Vice Dean, School of Politics, Economic and Global Affairs, IE University

Download The 2024 Summit of the Future. What to Expect Now and After

The Summit of the Future (SOTF) was proposed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to forge a new consensus on managing current interdependence and improving international collaboration. Scheduled for September 22-23 this year in New York City, the Summit aims to address critical global challenges and secure a viable future for coming generations. Despite its ambitious objectives, the SOTF will occur against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions and a challenging environment for international agreements.

This contrasts with the plethora of innovative ideas and debate emerging from civil society on reforming multilateralism. While expectations for concrete outcomes have been tempered, the SOTF provides a valuable opportunity to showcase fresh thinking on global governance reform. This paper argues that, rather than a disappointing finish line, the SOTF could serve as a starting point for charting a way forward. It has the potential to rally attention and political will to upgrade 20th-century international governance structures for 21st-century realities.