Summit of the Future opens at UN headquarters in NY

The Summit of the Future opened at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York on Sunday, with the adoption of the Pact for the Future, reported Xinhua.

"Our future is in our hands," Philemon Yang, president the UN General Assembly, said at the opening segment of the two-day summit.

He said the world stands at a crossroads of global transformation, facing unprecedented challenges that demand urgent, collective action.

"From conflict and climate change to the digital divide, from inequalities to threats against human rights, together, we all face profound challenges," he said.

But "there is hope because challenges come along with opportunities" and a brighter future is "within reach," he said.

The Pact for the Future represents the pledge not only to address immediate crises, but lays the foundation for a sustainable, just, and peaceful global order, he said, adding that it will boost the Sustainable Development Goals, inclusive and just societies and the common good of humankind.

Yang said that the summit offers a historic opportunity to ensure that progress is shared equitably across all nations and communities everywhere.

In his remarks, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world is going through a time of turbulence and transition.

"But, we cannot wait for perfect conditions," he said.

Guterres noted that the international community must take the first decisive steps towards updating and reforming international cooperation to make it "more networked, fair and inclusive now, and today."

The Pact for the Future, covering a broad range of themes including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance, was adopted unanimously.