On 21 September 2023, during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Krišjānis Kariņš, took part in the ministerial level meeting for the preparation of the UN Summit of the Future, at which he underlined the need for reform of the multilateral system so that it could respond more effectively to emerging challenges. The inability of the international community to stop Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has highlighted the drawbacks of the system, which must be set right by joint effort.
Krišjānis Kariņš emphasized that preparations for the Summit of the Future should be firmly based on the Charter of the United Nations, the existing norms need to be strengthened and the international framework adapted to new challenges. He recalled that Agenda 2030 clearly sets out the path to achieving the UN sustainable Development Goals. Given that digital transformation has accelerated significantly, the potential for digitalisation should also be exploited to reach those goals. In parallel, Latvia will continue to combat disinformation at the global level as well.
The Foreign Minister also pointed out that our decisions of today would affect succeeding generations; therefore, meaningful involvement of young people, civil society and the private sector in those processes was crucial.
Practical work on the preparation of the UN Summit of the Future began in February 2023, while the event itself is scheduled to take place in September 2024. It aims to revitalise the multilateral system in order to effectively achieve the goals set by the Charter of the United Nations and Agenda 2030.