Australia’s Role in Building Global Peace – A Quaker Perspective

This Quaker Peace & Legislative Committee (QPLC) Brief outlines global moves to strengthen the institutions of peace and how Australia can contribute.

 Summit of the Future

On 20 and 21 September, 4000 individuals from around the world attended the Summit at the United Nations. As a result, world leaders (on 22 September 2024) adopted a Pact for the Future that includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. The Pact aims to ensure that international institutions can deliver in the face of a world that has changed since they were created. As Antonio Guterres (UN Sec-Gen) said, “We cannot create a future for our grandchildren with a system built by our grandparents”. The vision is of an international system that can deliver on its promises, is more representative of today’s world, and draws on the energy and expertise of governments, civil society and other key partners. The Pact covers these areas:

• The most progressive and concrete commitment to Security Council reform, especially the under-representation of Africa.
• The first multilateral commitment to total nuclear disarmament in more than a decade.
• Clear commitment to prevent an arms race in outer space.
• Prevention of misuse of technologies such as lethal autonomous weapons.
• Additional pressure to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Reform of the international financial structure to better serve developing countries.
• Accelerating measures to address climate change to keep temperature rise of 1.5% above pre-industrial levels.
• Design technology for the benefit of all, more open accessible data in safe on-line space.
• More emphasis on taking account of future generations in decision-making.

To access the complete Brief including the Response from the Quaker United Nations Office CLICK HERE