The Pact for the Future Informal Interactive Dialogue on Means of Implementation

Among my signature events for the 79th Session, the implementation of the Pact for the Future is a major priority. 

Today is the first of three informal dialogues on this topic, beginning with the means of implementation. 

Our aim is not only to maintain the momentum since the Pact’s adoption last September. More importantly, it is to accelerate its implementation by creating a platform for Member States to exchange experiences, best practices, and ideas. 

The Pact for the Future is a shared commitment to a more just, sustainable, and secure world. 

But a promise is only meaningful when it has been translated into action. 

Delivering the Pact will help us get back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.   

As we examine the Pact’s implementation, we recognize the complexity ahead and unique challenges each country will face.  

Countries in special situations - including least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states - require special attention. 

Therefore, implementation must reflect national contexts. This means tailored approaches that consider resource restraints and capacity gaps.  

To succeed, we must build an enabling environment through smart investments and right reforms. 

First, we must close the resource gap.   

Many developing countries are trapped in cycles of debt. For instance, in 2022 and 2023, more was paid on existing debt than received in new lending. And in the poorest countries, debt servicing has tripled, and interest payments alone quadrupled over the past decade. 

This diverts funds from education, healthcare, infrastructure, and other key areas of Sustainable Development.  

Debt relief, restructuring and innovative financing solutions are no longer optional - they are urgent.  

Second, trade policies must grant developing countries flexibility. 

Developing countries must be able to implement policies that support their economic aspirations - free from unfair restrictions.  

And third, international cooperation must be strengthened through technical assistance, capacity-building, and knowledge-sharing.  

This is especially urgent in the digital space, where a widening divide worsens inequality. 

We must invest in infrastructure, technology transfer, and skills development.  

The Global Digital Compact provides a plan of action - but we need deliver on our commitments to ensure no nation is left behind. 

We must also use technology to reduce inequality across gender, race, geography, and income.  

An intersectional and intergenerational approach is key to a sustainable future. 

Empowering youth is essential for a sustainable future. It requires bold investment in education, infrastructure, and digital access to unlock their full potential and drive global progress.  

The Declaration on Future Generations, an annex to the Pact for the Future, is a compass we must use in this respect.  

As President of the General Assembly, I am committed to making the Pact for the Future a reality - everywhere in the world.  

But no government, organisation, or sector can do it alone. All of us must learn to work together. 

We need bold policies, greater investments, and stronger partnerships.  

• Governments must lead with concrete, action-oriented strategies; and
• The private sector must invest in innovation and sustainability. 

The Fourth Conference on Financing for Development, the World Summit on the Information Society and the Second World Summit on Social Development will all be key moments to accelerate our efforts. 

The Pact’s already agreed measures can help shape their outcomes.  

Implementation at the national level is key to attaining the full potential of the Pact for the Future. 

I urge Member States to organize workshops and dialogues to raise awareness and engage all stakeholders.  

Let us use this dialogue to exchange best practices, identify challenges, and pursue bold solutions. 

I look forward to hearing the experiences and perspectives of Member States.   

Let us prove that we can deliver.  

Thank you. 

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