STATEMENT: PACT FOR THE FUTURE NEEDS TO INVOLVE CHILDREN TO CREATE REAL CHANGE

UNITED NATIONS, 22 September 2024 – World leaders adopting the Pact for the Future at the United Nations today need to put children at the centre of policies and programmes to address issues which affect them such as conflict, the climate crisis and inequality, Save the Children said. 

The Pact and its annexes were adopted by consensus at the opening ceremony of The Summit of the Future. World leaders and decision-makers are meeting from 22-23 September to discuss how to accelerate action on the UN’s Global Goals agreed in 2015 to build a fairer and more equal world.  

The Pact envisions a world where countries work better together to address future challenges, achieve the Global Goals, and strengthen international cooperation on issues like sustainable development, international peace and security, digital innovation, and global governance. 

Inger Ashing, Save the Children International CEO, at The Summit of the Future, said: 

“We very much welcome the adoption of the Pact for the Future. We are glad that world leaders have come together to show that multilateralism can address the challenges facing current and future generations of children. We are cautiously optimistic about the Pact, and hope that the United Nations, members states, civil society and the private sector can work together to deliver on its promises and create real change for children.  

“Now that the Pact has been adopted, it’s critical that world leaders put children’s rights at the centre of policies and programmes, in order to address issues which impact their lives, and create a safer, more equitable and sustainable world. We need all actors to work closely with children to implement the Pact.” 

Save the Children is pleased to see the inclusion of children in the Pact but has been advocating for the document to be more child-sensitive, as the future belongs to them. We consulted with children leading up to the Summit, and they are calling for involvement in decisions that affect their lives. Children have the right to have their views heard in decision-making and have the best insights into what actions are needed to protect their futures. 

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• Ruby Wright ruby.wright@savethechildren.org

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