Eight delegates from BAPS attended the United Nations Summit of the Future held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City from September 20 to September 23, 2024. The Summit united leaders and stakeholders from 193 countries in dialogue on a broad range of global issues to foster mutual trust and cooperation.
This year, the Summit took place in two phases. During the first two days, dubbed “Action Days,” BAPS delegates joined more than 7,000 representatives from NGOs, academia, youth organizations, and other stakeholders in a discussion on three key themes: digital and technology, peace and security, and sustainable development and financing. In addition to these general themes, there was a dedicated focus on future generations led entirely by youth.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, Felipe Paullier, commended this milestone in UN history: “Ten years ago, a day like today would have been unimaginable: a day on the official program of the United Nations dedicated to youth. A day when this house recognizes that any agenda – whether it is gender, climate, peace and security, sustainable development or human rights – has the youth agenda as a cross-cutting element of it.” Echoing these sentiments, Darshak Patel, a BAPS delegate, shared: “The Summit of the Future highlighted the importance of empowering today’s youth to shape the global future. By giving them a platform and a voice, we enable them to define a vision for tomorrow.”
BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a global non-governmental organization (NGO) with General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, has long been a leader in youth engagement and empowerment. Just earlier this year, in May 2024, BAPS volunteers presented an exhibit titled “The Future is Now: Involving Youth in Shaping our World” at the United Nations’ Civil Society Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, which set the agenda for the Summit of the Future. The exhibit emphasized the importance of engaging and empowering youth to be changemakers and civil society leaders, and showcased BAPS’ many efforts to engage youth from across the world in societal service.
Following the Action Days, the Summit culminated in the adoption of the Pact for the Future, an inter-governmentally negotiated, action-oriented pact between the UN member states. The Pact for the Future featured five main themes: (1) sustainable development and financing for development; (2) international peace and security; (3) science, technology, innovation, and a global digital compact; (4) youth and future generations; and (5) a more equitable, inclusive, and effective global governance.
Puja Patel, a BAPS delegate to the Summit, was particularly inspired by this commitment to fostering coordinated and lasting progress around these global issues: “It was inspiring to see world leaders come together with a shared purpose. They united not just to drive progress for their own countries, but to collaborate for the betterment of humanity and the planet as a whole. This gathering demonstrated an unwavering commitment to addressing global challenges, from climate action to peace and security, and the collective responsibility we all share for a sustainable future.”
