Uganda urges UN to empower vulnerable population
Ms Betty Amongi, Uganda's Gender Minister attends a session at the UN headquarters in New York on September 23, 2024. PHOTO/COURTESY.
What you need to know:
- Ms Amongi said there is need for further commitment, concrete actions and reforms to the governance structures of the UN, and rethinking multilateralism to address the challenges outlined in the pact, since they transcend borders and target the wellbeing of humanity.
Uganda’s minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Ms Betty Amongi Ongom has appealed to UN Member States to empower future generations, the majority of whom are youth, vulnerable population, and women – if the “Pact for the Future” is to achieve the shared goals envisaged.
World leaders on September 23 adopted the Pact that includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations.
This Pact is the culmination of an inclusive, years-long process to adapt international cooperation to the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow. It’s the most wide-ranging international agreement in many years, covering entirely new areas as well as issues on which agreement has not been possible in decades.
Ms Amongi said there is need for further commitment, concrete actions and reforms to the governance structures of the UN, and rethinking multilateralism to address the challenges outlined in the pact, since they transcend borders and target the wellbeing of humanity.
Addressing the side meeting of the women's forum of the President of the General Assembly, Ms Amongi further said children, youth and vulnerable communities will be the one to shoulder the consequences of our actions today. They will face the burden of restoring what we have destroyed, hence the need to truly boost the participation of youth and women, and other vulnerable groups.
She also called for building a better future, with the involvement of everyone, where no one is left behind.
In a statement, the United Nations said the Pact aims above all to ensure that international institutions can deliver in the face of a world that has changed dramatically since they were created. As the Secretary-General António Guterres said, “we cannot create a future fit for our grandchildren with a system built by our grandparents.”
Overall, the agreement of the Pact is a strong statement of countries’ commitment to the United Nations, the international system and international law. Leaders set out a clear vision 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 for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations open the door to new opportunities and untapped possibilities,” said the Secretary-General during his remarks at the opening of the Summit of the Future.
The President of the General Assembly, Philemon Yang, assured world leaders that the Pact would “lay the foundations for a sustainable, just, and peaceful global order – for all peoples and nations.”
The Pact covers a broad range of issues including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance.
During the Summit, member states emphasized the need for reforms in the UN architecture by introducing more seats in the UN Security Council to include permanent members from Africa, Asia and Latin America, to make it more inclusive, to respond to the complex present day challenges.
