Activists hope that a long-held dream for the United Nations to create the role of special envoy and incorporate consideration for future generations into its decisions will come true this year.
The World Future Council (WFC) has been campaigning for this move for more than a decade, since the idea was first discussed at the United Nations' Earth Summit in 2012.
The United Nations has been working on this issue for many years and made an announcement in 2021. report It recommended that a special envoy be created to ensure that policy and budget decisions consider the impact on future generations.
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Decisions made today affect 10 billion people who will be born this century, yet there is no mechanism at the global level to advise decision-makers about the intergenerational impact of their decisions, the United Nations says. It pointed out.
While the United Nations already has a UN Special Envoy on Youth, a position that champions the needs of today's young people in terms of education, employment, and rights, the Special Envoy for Future Generations is much broader and focuses on specific generations. It is not focused on.
Special envoys can represent and speak for future generations. Increase awareness of the intergenerational impact of decisions. Foster collaboration on issues.
Progress could then be reported annually to the UN General Assembly, the UN's main policy-making body, where member state leaders meet to discuss global priorities.
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Neshan Gunasekera, an international lawyer and policy advisor to the WFC Future Justice Committee, said: Be in harmony with all sentient beings and reach your full potential.
„This may be one of the last chances of this century.“
The concept of future generations of special envoys will be discussed at the next meeting. united nations future summitwill be held in September to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
World leaders attending the summit willagreement for the futureIt was developed in advance of the summit and is being discussed at a series of events throughout 2024, including the UN Civil Society Conference in May and the UN Political Conference on Sustainable Development Goals in July.
A political declaration is also expected to be made, which is expected to include support for the establishment of the new post.
The draft plan is expected to be published in early April after consultation with stakeholders from youth and indigenous organizations. United Nations agencies, funds and programs. NGOs, research institutes, academia and the private sector.
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Answer summary Documents released so far by the United Nations have revealed strong support for the idea of appointing a special envoy, as well as an annual report on future generations to inform policy-making. Seeking recognition of the rights of future generations. It emphasizes the importance of the right to a healthy environment and calls for collaboration with the private sector, civil society and academia.
Through this process, WFC is also calling for a number of other changes, including representing future generations at international, national, regional and local levels and empowering them to design and consider policies to protect their rights. There is. Improving intergenerational equity in legal and political institutions and processes. And we will strengthen our legal obligations to protect future generations, including through our campaign to bring climate change to the International Court of Justice.
Mr Gunasekera said UN member states agreed to create a special envoy, building on the support shown so far by civil society organizations and the governments of Germany, Namibia, the Netherlands and Jamaica, who are co-chairing negotiations on the agreement and political declaration, respectively. I hope you will. .
He concluded: „I am confident that this recommendation will be adopted, realizing a historic opportunity, and I am even more hopeful that it will spur innovation in governance at all levels.“
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Katherine Early is a freelance environmental journalist. ecologist.She tweets at @Cat_Early76.