On October 16th, the GPC-published policy brief “The 2024 Summit of the Future. What to Expect Now and After” was presented.

The policy brief was debated on a panel with welcoming words by Mr. Ángel Alonso, author of the brief and Vice Dean of IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs; opening remarks by Ms. Cecilia Robles Cartes, Director General of the United Nations, International Organizations & Human Rights (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union & Cooperation); video message from Mr. Danilo Türk, Former President of Slovenia (2007-2012) an President of Club de Madrid; and panel discussion by Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa, Former President of the UN General Assembly and CEO of GWL Voices; Ms. Cristina Gallach, Former UN Under-Secretary-General and Former Spanish State-Secretary for Foreign Affairs; and Ms. María Elena Agüero, Secretary General of Club de Madrid. The conversation was moderated by Mr. Augusto López-Claros, Executive Director and Chair of the Global Governance Forum.

Policy Brief  “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.