A bold and visionary Pact for the Future

At the Summit of the Future virtual consultation on the Draft Pact for the Future, organised by the co-facilitators of the preparatory process on 21 February, Dan Perell, representing the Baha’i International Community and also the co-chair of C4UN, acknowledged the mighty task of harmonizing the insights from among hundreds of contributions and thousands of pages. The fact that this process has engaged so many demonstrates widespread interest in our common future, and the significance of what this Pact represents —a sense of potential and aspiration.

The Pact articulates many of our shared commitments to date. Yet, when I think about a Pact for the Future, what comes to mind is a sense of movement, of looking forward beyond what has already come. While upholding commitments has its utility towards a peaceful and prosperous future, more critical will be shifting our perspective to looking ahead into the future. A Pact for the Future should be bold and visionary, it should extend our collective horizon beyond the usual conventions - possibly to 50 or 100 years from now. It should respond to questions such as: What world do we aspire to? What world do we wish to leave for future generations?

It should respond to questions pressing today that were not foreseen 80 years ago, such as climate change and environmental degradation, digital technology and artificial intelligence, space and the increasing role of various non-state actors (for better and worse) - all matters which extend beyond political boundaries. And, ultimately, it should promise to set up new structures and systems, beyond the ones we have today, to bring about our vision for the future, the *how* that is beyond the *what*. The institutions needed cannot be established in a handful of months. Nevertheless the Summit represents a key opportunity to sow the seeds of those new institutions.

We have broad agreement that the international order as it stands is not meeting the needs of humanity and the planet. The impetus for profound change must now outweigh the inertia of the status quo. This means we have an obligation to take bold and values-based new steps. This will be the true test of the Summit. If we don’t do it now, then we are risking further catastrophe which, itself, will eventually be the catalyst of change. Let us do it by choice now, rather than by necessity after suffering. This, ultimately, is what will - as the zero draft states - re-earn the trust of the people.