First UN civil society forum in Africa heralds ‘inclusive’ Future Summit

Bringing together civil society actors, government representatives, senior United Nations officials, young changemakers, academics and other stakeholders, the UN Civil Society Conference is the main event on the civil society calendar at the United Nations, before the Future Summitset for next September.

Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, in a video message during the event, began by expressing her deepest condolences to the victims of the devastating floods in Kenya and reiterating the United Nations’ continued commitment to supporting the Kenyan government during this difficult time.

The ‘strong voice’ of civil society

He highlighted how every day, civil society groups around the world work tirelessly to advance the goals of the United Nations.

“We fight for global justice, for social justice and for climate justice. For peace, for gender equality, for human rights and for the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals),” Ms. Mohammed said, adding: “You stand in solidarity with the vulnerable and the marginalized.”

“This Conference is a testament to the strong voice of civil society, despite growing threats and shrinking space.”

Ms. Mohammed went on to explain that the Conference reaffirmed that the next Future Summit must reflect the priorities, concerns and expectations of civil society. The September Summit was a generational opportunity to update international institutions and build a more inclusive multilateralism that served the interests of all peoples.

Organized by the United Nations Department of Global Communications, the Civil Society Conference will run for two days, on May 9 and 10, at the United Nations Office in Nairobi (ONUN).

‘We need you, civil society’

Opening the event, Maher Nasser, director of the Outreach Division of the UN communications department, said that more than 3,600 civil society representatives from 2,750 entities had registered for the Conference, along with around 400 representatives from 64 governments, seven intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), 37 UN entities and more than 100 media reporters.

Additionally, 70 percent of registrants were from Africa and 40 percent of all registrants were young people, in the age group of 18 to 34 years. The climate was the main issue for the young people enrolled. Before turning the floor over to the co-chairs, Mr. Nasser implored the audience to remember that “today is yesterday’s tomorrow and last year’s future.”

Dennis Francis, President of the United Nations General Assembly, said in a video message: “For the Summit to serve as a catalyst for impactful global action, we need strong collaboration and buy-in from those directly affected to advance their action-oriented results. .”

Referring to the documents expected to emerge from the Summit (the Compact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations), the Assembly President said: “we need you, civil society, to play a role. fundamental role in this process.”

Guy Ryder, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Policy, said the next two days were a vital step on the path to the Future Summit. The ideas, commitment and call to action were essential for the processes that were to come.

“We are all acutely aware that we must work together if we are to have any chance of meeting today’s global challenges; ongoing conflicts, escalating geopolitical tensions; multiplied humanitarian crisis; the growing inequalities… the climate emergency and much more,” he stated.

Furthermore, cooperation and solidarity are needed at all levels.

“And for that, we need systems, institutions and mindsets that are up to the task and reflect contemporary realities,” Ryder said, urging everyone, especially young people, to get involved and encouraging everyone to step up commitment to their governments in the run-up to September.

‘We want real change’

The highlight of the opening session was the keynote address by SDG Young Leader Karimot Odebode, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals young leaders, who heads a civil society organization in Nigeria.

She read a poem titled The journey ahead.

“My generation is tired,” he said, emphasizing, “we want real change. Are you ready to commit to peace? Are you ready? Because I commit. You?”

Ms Odebode said civil society had met urgently today to develop a roadmap to a sustainable future. Civil society leaders had a unique responsibility in shaping the future of global and sustainable progress, she stressed.

Florence Syevuo, another young SDG leader, said the Conference was a call from civil society to address global inequality once and for all, particularly that between the Global North and South. About 70 percent of the participants came from Africa, which was important; those left outside the “New York bubble” were unable to engage in meaningful conversations about sustainable development.

“There should be no future UN civil society conferences where the UN meets only for administrative purposes… we hope to be able to assist many countries in the Global South,” Ms Syevuo said.

‘Raising the bar for multilateralism’

Carole Agengo, co-chair of the 2024 Civil Society Conference Planning Committee and Africa Regional Representative at HelpAge International, said civil society in the Global South faced challenges accessing previous conferences for several reasons, mainly due to visas.

With this in mind, the current Conference had prioritized inclusion and participation. Ms Agengo said it was vital that organizations in the Global South unleash the power of their numbers and collaborate, as they move towards the Future Summit.

For her part, Nudhara Yusuf, co-chair of the Planning Committee of the 2024 Civil Society Conference, Global Governance Innovation Network and Youth Coordinator of the Coalition for the UN We Need, said that the Conference aimed to significantly support the Future Summit, which would be held at a critical moment.

During that Summit, civil society would ask UN Member States to raise the bar for multilateralism. In turn, civil society must be willing to go further in how to participate in multilateral and intergovernmental processes, he said.

The work of the Conference

Thursday’s Conference also featured 37 on-site workshops, co-organized by stakeholders, including civil society and United Nations entities, and attended by various participants, including United Nations Member States.

This was followed by a discussion on civil society recommendations on the Compact for the Future, the Declaration on Future Generations and the Global Digital Compact and an interactive dialogue on the proposed outcomes and related issues.

Friday is expected to begin with an interactive dialogue, Looking Ahead at the Summit and Beyond and a roundtable, with responses from UN agencies, philanthropic groups and UN Member States.

The closing session will take place in the afternoon and will be attended by the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, and the President of Kenya, William Ruto.