Despite profound political differences, the 193 UN member states are expected to unanimously adopt a reform plan on Sunday in New York in the presence of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
At the two-day so-called United Nations Future Summit starting at 2:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m. local time), after months of negotiations, Russia is also expected to agree, despite a threatened blockade.
The Future Pact was negotiated under the leadership of Germany and Namibia. UN Secretary-General António Guterres had called for ambitious reforms of the United Nations and international organizations in order to make the international community more capable of taking action in the face of many crises and wars and to make the world more just.
Scholz will give a speech at the beginning of the event, as will Secretary-General Guterres and Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba. Before that, classical singer and five-time American Grammy winner Renée Fleming will provide a celebratory setting for the event in the Great Hall of the UN General Assembly on the East River in Manhattan.
Difficult negotiations with some bright spots
The pact, which has been painstakingly negotiated since the beginning of the year, includes declarations of intent for a reform of the UN Security Council and calls for an adjustment of the international financial system in favor of the so-called Global South. It is also intended to lay the first foundation for the global regulation of artificial intelligence. The text also opposes an arms race in space.
Despite some bright spots, diplomats say the final text falls short of Guterres’ very ambitious expectations. This is also reflected in the fact that the influential veto powers USA, Russia, China, Great Britain and France are only sending their foreign ministers or even their deputies according to the current plan. However, by the end of the event on Monday evening, a total of more than 120 heads of state and government are said to have spoken.
Russia with disruptive maneuvers
When working on the Pact for the Future, Russia in particular was seen by diplomats as a troublemaker. In a maneuver shortly before the planned adoption, Moscow called for an additional paragraph in a motion that indirectly portrayed parts of the United Nations and the current agreement itself as superfluous. Diplomats consider it unlikely that Moscow will stick to this.
Chancellor between the worlds in New York
Chancellor Scholz had already arrived in Manhattan on Saturday and met for the first time that evening for a private dinner with UN chief Guterres at the United Nations headquarters.
During his stay in New York, which is scheduled to last until Monday evening local time, the SPD politician will also meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. It is Scholz’s third trip as Chancellor to the US East Coast metropolis.
In addition to the appointments at the United Nations, the Chancellor is also expected to visit the Jewish Museum in Manhattan and the exhibition of a German artist at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
There is particular anticipation as to how Scholz will react to the results of the state elections in Brandenburg during the trip, where a lot is at stake for the Chancellor, given the threat of an AfD victory over the SPD. Scholz plans to give his speech at the Future Summit a few hours before the first projections are released.
UN General Debate without Chancellor – but with Foreign Minister
Scholz will not even be in town for the world’s largest diplomatic meeting, which starts on Tuesday: The annual general debate of the UN General Assembly with speeches by US President Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Selenskyj will last just under a week – Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) will speak for Germany.
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