Sri Lanka defines priorities for next month’s UN ‘Summit of the Future’ in NY

Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry

UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Marc-André Franche

Foreign Affairs Secretary Aruni Wijewardane

The Presidential Secretariat and the Foreign Affairs Ministry, in collaboration with the United Nations in Sri Lanka, co-hosted a national event for Sri Lanka to articulate its contributions to the ‘Summit of the Future’ which will be held from 22-23 September in New York.

The ‘Summit of the Future’, proposed by the UN Secretary-General in his ‘Our Common Agenda’ report, is a landmark initiative to renew and strengthen multilateralism to better address current and emerging global challenges. 

The Summit will produce a ‘Pact for the Future’, an inter-governmentally negotiated and action-oriented agreement that will guide global efforts in sustainable development, peace and security, science and digital cooperation, youth and future generations, and transforming global governance.

The national event brought together key stakeholders, including senior Government officials, the diplomatic community, civil society representatives, academia, and international partners, to discuss the contributions of Sri Lanka to this important global dialogue. It featured a series of discussions on the main themes of the proposed pact for the future, namely sustainable development and climate financing, the digital divide and Global Digital Compact, women, youth, and future generations, and promotion of humanitarian principles in warfare.

Delivering the keynote address, Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry stated that double standards erode trust among nations, and called for enhanced mutual respect and confidence within our multilateral efforts, for the sake of humanity. He stated: “The ‘Summit of the Future’ is not just another meeting – it is a call for action. As we prepare for the Summit, let us remember that our efforts here in Sri Lanka are part of a larger global movement which will determine the fate of generations to come.” 

In her opening remarks, Foreign Affairs Secretary Aruni Wijewardane stated: “As Sri Lanka looks towards stabilisation, recovery, and economic growth with equity and justice, we need to work towards a supportive international framework at the ‘Summit for the Future.’” She further added that this national event adopted a bottom-up approach for inclusive and meaningful dialogue, as Sri Lanka prepares for the participation at the Summit.

Speaking at the event, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Marc-André Franche reiterated the need to commit a multilateralism that is fit for the future, and highlighted the many ways in which Sri Lanka can contribute and benefit from the global summit. “As an emerging member state in the rapidly changing Global South, Sri Lanka offers a valuable perspective for a renewed multilateralism, but will require a steadfast commitment to socioeconomic and governance reforms to ensure sustainable recovery, growth, and prosperity that benefits all.”

The panel on ‘Sustainable Development and Climate Financing’ highlighted that, while Sri Lanka has made gains in the past in sustainable development, the debt situation has limited its ability in progress, similar to many other developing countries. Key discussions revolved around the need for innovative financial models, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and building digital infrastructure to effectively navigate through the challenges. The panel further underlined the need of the SDG Stimulus to provide developing countries with the resources to recover and accelerate progress. 

In terms of climate change, the panellists emphasised that Sri Lanka has the potential to be a global model for green recovery. Reiterating Sri Lanka’s international commitments for climate action, given the restricted fiscal space, the urgent need to break down the barriers for clean energy transition by developing countries was emphasised. 

The panel on ‘Digital Divide and the Global Digital Compact’ underscored the need to bridge the digital divide among the countries as well as within the countries. Sri Lanka’s digital initiatives support the Global Digital Compact’s goal of expanding digital inclusion, contributing 5% to GDP through a growing digital economy in the country. The panel pointed out that capacity-building is essential for cooperation of States and confidence-building in the field of cyber security, and that Sri Lanka supports a framework for an open, secure, stable, accessible, and peaceful ICT environment.

The panel on ‘Women, Youth and Future Generations’ emphasised that women have a leading role in uplifting society, which can be enhanced by due recognition and equal opportunities. Sri Lanka is contributing considerably to break the glass ceiling by several legislative reforms, including the Women Empowerment Act. To address the barriers faced by youth and women in the world, including Sri Lanka, the panel stated that it is crucial to recognise and address the underlying structural issues, rather than placing undue pressure on these groups. This requires a concerted international effort to educate, advocate, and empower women and youth, ensuring their active and meaningful participation on the global stage.

The fourth panel discussed the concerning implications for International Humanitarian Law of the development and deployment of Autonomous Weapons Systems (AWS), also known as killer robots, that can carry out attacks without the intervention of a human being. The pressing need for an international, legally binding instrument to prohibit and regulate such weapons was underlined, and Sri Lanka’s diplomatic role in global efforts to reach such a consensus was explained, as was Sri Lanka’s ethics-based approach to enhancing the humanitarian aspects of the use of weapons. 

The discussions and insights from the event will contribute to shaping Sri Lanka’s participation in the ‘Summit of the Future.’ As the global community prepares to convene in New York in September, Sri Lanka stands ready to play a key role in building a multilateral system that is equitable, responsive, inclusive, and capable of addressing the challenges of the future.