NEW DELHI: It’s a once-in-a-generation moment for the United Nations as it hosts the Summit of the Future on 22-23 September, a landmark gathering of world leaders that will define not only the future trajectory of this global body, but also of the world at large.
At the summit, all eyes will be on India, the world’s most populous democracy, the second-largest economy, and an emerging power, with its distinctive narrative on global issues. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address world leaders at the summit and is expected to make a strong pitch for accelerating reform of the UN Security Council and outline his vision of inclusive multilateralism.
The summit is an emblem of hope and renewal at a time when the four Ps dominate the international landscape—poly-crisis, paranoia, polarisation, and perplexity. The world is beset with multiple crises—the Gaza war, the Russia-Ukraine war, and festering conflicts in Africa and other parts of the world. On the face of it, it’s a gloom-and-doom scenario, where nothing is certain except uncertainty. But hope often springs anew from this matrix of darkness and despair. Against this backdrop, the Summit of the Future seeks to kindle hope anew by reinventing and refurbishing the UN and the world order to address needs and aspirations of people cutting across continents and geographies. The summit’s centrepiece is “The Pact of the Future,” a 20-page blueprint for rejuvenation of the UN and streamlining of the international system. The Pact clusters an array of issues into five main chapters: Sustainable development; international peace and security; youth and future generations; science, technology, innovation, and digital cooperation; and transforming global governance. It proposes 60 specific actions in these areas.
The UN Summit of the Future presents a critical opportunity for world leaders to make tangible reforms and address the most pressing challenges of our time. India, with its growing global influence, is poised to play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of this summit.
Reform of the UN system will be top of the agenda at the summit. All countries, big and small, will be watching how India shapes the outcomes of the summit. At a conference organised by “India and the World” journal and Centre for Global India Insights, Inga Rhonda King, Permanent Representative of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the UN, lauded India’s leadership in elevating the concerns of the Global South, particularly its role in expanding the G20 to include the African Union and its vaccine diplomacy during the Covid-19 pandemic. “India’s approach to multilateralism is one of partnership, not dominance. Initiatives like the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the India-UN Development Partnership Fund are examples of how India is contributing to a more inclusive global order,” she added.
MAKING QUAD COUNT
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his three-day visit to the US with the summit of the leaders of Quad countries in Wilmington, US President Joe Biden’s hometown. It will be a farewell party of sorts for President Biden as well as Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as they will make for new leaders in their respective countries. The fact that President Biden is hosting the Quad summit amid the busiest week in the US diplomatic calendar underlines the importance he attaches to this four-nation grouping that has carved its niche as a concert of democracies designed to contain China’s assertion in contested territories. In this regard, the Quad leaders are likely to unveil joint coast guard operations and enhanced information-sharing frameworks through the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative.
The fourth in-person Quad summit will focus on a cluster of interrelated issues, including Indo-Pacific security, economic cooperation, technological innovation, and environmental sustainability. With rising Chinese assertiveness as a backdrop, this meeting will reaffirm the Quad’s importance in protecting the rules-based international order and lay out a roadmap for future cooperation. The key topics on the agenda include enhancing maritime security through joint initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA), expanding economic resilience by securing critical supply chains, and deepening collaboration in emerging technologies. PM Modi is expected to underline the imperative to protect freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and East China Sea will figure prominently in discussions. Another key focus of the summit will be technological cooperation, particularly in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, and quantum computing. The Quad aims to lead in setting global standards for these technologies, ensuring they align with democratic values and human rights.
Manish Chand, is CEO and Editor-in-Chief, India Writes Network and Director, Centre for Global India Insights, a think tank focused on global affairs.