India’s dedication to committed multilateralism shines ahead of UN Summit of the Future

As anticipation builds for the upcoming UN Summit of the Future, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj, has underscored India’s unwavering commitment to multilateralism.

Kamboj expressed excitement for the summit on Thursday, highlighting India’s proactive stance in embracing the opportunity to repurpose the UN for collective global progress.

“Excited for the upcoming UN Summit of the Future! India’s dedication to committed multilateralism shines as we embrace this opportunity to repurpose the UN for collective global progress. Together, we can achieve the greater good,” Kamboj said in a post on X.

India’s steadfast commitment to multilateralism has long been a cornerstone of its foreign policy, with the nation actively engaging in international forums to address global challenges and promote cooperation.

The Summit of the Future (September 2024) is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance cooperation on critical challenges and address gaps in global governance. It will reaffirm existing commitments, including to the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Charter, and move towards a reinvigorated multilateral system better positioned to impact people’s lives positively, according to the UN.

The Summit is a high-level event, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future.

This once-in-a-generation opportunity serves as a moment to mend eroded trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively tackle current challenges as well as those that have emerged in recent years or may yet be over the horizon.

The proposal for a Summit of the Future originated in the Our Common Agenda report. The report was a response by the UN Secretary-General to a call from Member States for ideas on how better to respond to current and future challenges.

The Common Agenda report called for a renewal of trust and solidarity at all levels – between peoples, countries and generations. It made the case for a fundamental rethink of our political, economic and social systems so that they deliver more fairly and effectively for everyone. It also recommended a corresponding renewal of the multilateral system, with the Summit of the Future as a defining moment to agree on the most critical improvements necessary.

Member States agreed to hold the Summit in September 2024. They also agreed that the Summit would have an outcome – a Pact for the Future, according to the official statement.