Prime Minister of Jamaica Shows Hope for the Future at the United Nations Summit of the Future Action Days 

"With the adoption of the Pact and its annexes, we have charted a path and made the first bold step," declared the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness at the United Nations Summit of the Future Action Days. The goal of the Summit of the Future Action Days was to prepare world leaders and youth stakeholders for the Summit of the Future itself by generating momentum before the high-level summit discussion began. Some of the stakeholders who gathered at the United Nations to lend support and advocate for the adoption of the Pact for the Future included government representatives, civil society, private sector, and academia. 

The two day event, primarily focussing on youth engagement and participation, was hosted by the United Nations on September 20th and 21st, 2024 at the United Nations Headquarters and General Assembly in New York City. 

The “Pact and its annexes” that Holness referred to was the Pact for the Future, as well as the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations. 

The Pact for the Future, which was set to be adopted days after the Action Days, is a collaborative framework that unites countries and organizations in their commitments to a brighter future for next generations. With 56 pledges across 5 themes, it aims to address pressing global challenges like climate change and social inequality through collective action and shared goals. Encompassed within the Pact for the Future is the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations. The Global Digital Compact is a UN initiative that will set the foundation of shared principles and guidelines for how digital technologies should be governed globally. The Declaration on Future Generations is a framework to ensure the needs of future generations are considered in decision-making. 

According to Prime Minister Holness, his country of Jamaica has already been preparing for creating a better future for all citizens. "In Jamaica, my government has already begun to invest in anticipatory planning and future-proofing, recognizing first and foremost that a solid macro-economic foundation is the most basic requirement."

Jamaica's investment in anticipatory planning and future-proofing strengthens its economic resilience and future stability, which is important for sustainable development. By prioritizing a solid macro-economic foundation, the country is better positioned to handle future challenges like climate change and global economic shifts. This aligns with the Pact for the Future given that Jamaica is working towards sustainable development and the well-being of future generations. 

The concept of sustainable development originated with Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway. Serving as Norway’s first female Prime Minister from 1981 to 1996, she is known as the “Mother of Sustainable Development” for pioneering the idea and working towards its early agenda. Brundtland served with the United Nations’ World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), which published the report “Our Common Future” in 1987. It is also known as the Brundtland Report which defined sustainable development as, "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The work of Brundtland in the area of sustainable development led to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where sustainable development was discussed in depth. Decades later, in 2015, member states of the United Nations created the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of Agenda 2030 because they realized that global problems, such as climate change and poverty, were increasing. The intent of focussing on 17 goals was to ensure they were achieved by 2030. This explains the rationale behind the current Summit of the Future. The purpose is to evaluate where countries currently stand with respect to accomplishing the SDGs by 2030. The Pact for the Future is key to achieving this by renewing commitments by countries to sustainable development. 

The country of Jamaica is very enthusiastic about how the Pact for the Future will benefit its citizens, as well as fellow countries worldwide. As Prime Minister Holness stated, "We have lowered our debt to GDP ratio; increased our foreign exchange reserves; reduced the unemployment rate; and achieved single-digit inflation as well as financial sector stability."

The Pact for the Future is important because it helps countries work together to fix problems like climate change and poverty. It pushes everyone to take actions that protect the planet and make sure future generations have a good life. By bringing different groups together— including governments, businesses, and young people—it gives us a better chance to create a fair and healthy world for everyone.

Prime Minister Holness concluded, "Let us now move forward with hope and determination to ensure that our collective legacy will be a peaceful, healthy, and prosperous planet for all our peoples, and a sustainable future for generations to come."