President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, who leads the Macedonian delegation to the 79th UN General Assembly, is scheduled to address the Summit of the Future today on the topic “Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow,” with the participation of heads of state and government.

The goal of the Summit is for member states to enhance mutual cooperation, which is emphasized as increasingly important for human survival. However, this cooperation is difficult to achieve in an atmosphere of mistrust and through outdated structures that no longer reflect today’s political and economic realities.

At the Summit, member states are expected to adopt a Pact for the Future. However, according to diplomatic sources, it is uncertain whether the document will be adopted today due to disagreements over parts of its content by Russia and six other countries, as reported by MIA’s correspondent in New York. Negotiations on the document’s content continued throughout the night, leaving uncertainty about the outcome of today’s large meeting at the UN. The Draft Pact focuses on human rights, gender equality, and sustainable development. It includes chapters on sustainable development and development financing, international peace and security, science, technology and innovation, digital cooperation, youth, future generations, and transforming global governance. Among other issues, member states are expected to agree on reforms to the Security Council, though this seems unlikely.

The document calls for countries to commit to better protecting civilians in armed conflicts and taking responsibility for crimes and violence, such as gender-based violence and the use of starvation as a weapon of war. It also addresses the need for increased humanitarian aid, including the elimination of hunger, and aims to bring the world measurably closer to being free of nuclear weapons. It emphasizes the importance of disarmament and arms control efforts, including those related to indiscriminate weapons, biological and chemical weapons, and small arms. The document also calls for revitalizing the UN’s role in disarmament and progressing toward the fourth special session of the General Assembly on disarmament. It includes measures for coordinating responses to biological threats, both natural and intentional, and calls for a realistic and responsible use of peacekeeping operations to ensure they can meet current needs.

Regarding international peace and security, the document stresses the need to update the collective security system for better prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts. It calls for greater use of preventive diplomacy and mediation mechanisms, including the functions of the General Secretariat, to prevent confrontation between member states.

The document also covers the protection of women, combating terrorism, addressing climate change and environmental protection, and promoting science, digitization, and new technologies. It highlights the importance of youth participation in decision-making and the future they will inherit.

A Declaration for Future Generations and a Global Digital Agreement are also expected to be adopted at the Summit. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for ambitious reforms of the United Nations and other international organizations to make the international community more capable of responding to crises and wars, and to create a more just world.

The week of the United Nations in New York is taking place under heightened police security due to the presence of a large number of world leaders and participants at the Future Summit and the UN General Assembly, as well as many tourists visiting the city.

On Thursday, President Siljanovska Davkova is scheduled to address the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, which is being held under the theme “Leaving No One Behind: Acting Together to Advance Peace, Sustainable Development, and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations.”

The President will also participate in the Annual Meeting of the Platform of Women Leaders of the United Nations General Assembly, on the topic “Equal Participation of Women in Decision-Making: Ensuring Peace, Socio-Economic Opportunities, Sustainable Development, and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations.” At the invitation of U.S. President Joe Biden, she will also attend a meeting on the topic “Global Coalition to Counter the Threat of Synthetic Drugs.”

The Macedonian delegation includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Timcho Mutsunski, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Izet Mejiti. Both Mutsunski and Mejiti are scheduled to address the UN General Assembly this week, and Macedonian representatives will hold joint and separate bilateral meetings with leaders from other countries.