CIVICUS discusses the recently adopted Declaration on Future Generations with Cecilia Schirmeister, youth lead and representative of the Baha’i International Community United Nations (UN) Office, an international civil society organisation with a long history of cooperation with the UN.

UN member states met in New York on 22 and 23 September for the Summit of the Future. Following negotiations that included consultations with civil society, they adopted the Pact for the Future and its two annexes: the Global Digital Compact, which aims to close digital and data gaps, and a Declaration on Future Generations. The declaration outlines commitments to protect the rights and wellbeing of future generations in the face of global challenges and ensure they are part of global decision-making processes.

What are your overall thoughts on the Declaration on Future Generations?

I think the Declaration on Future Generations is a really helpful tool, particularly when we think about it in the context of the UN. The UN hasn’t previously had a formal process and space to think about future generations. While there is a degree of future-oriented thinking embedded in the day-to-day practices of Indigenous communities and some cultural and religious societies, this is something relatively new in the UN community.

In that sense, the declaration is groundbreaking. It’s the first time we have something in writing, which creates a platform for further thinking on this subject. It’s an opportunity to think about succeeding generations as integral and interdependent with the decisions we make for today’s world. It’s an opportunity to see cohesion and coherence between the future and the present. The declaration is also a symbol. It’s like the seeds that are planted in fertile ground that eventually blossom into fruit.

I see many parallels between this declaration and the emergence of human rights discourse, which initially took shape through the drafting of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and of course, the UN Charter. In a sense, human rights began as words on a paper. And yet, over the course of decades, through hard work, human rights discourse has flourished. This declaration, too, begins as words on a page. But I am certain that through hard work, much like human rights, future generations will take a prominent position on the international stage.

In that sense, the declaration is a tremendous victory. We have to extend much appreciation to the co-facilitators for their time and effort in navigating diverse perspectives, which led us to this document we have today.

Did the final declaration meet your expectations?

From the outset, I think this declaration represented a significant point of hope among diverse stakeholders. Of course, different UN member states had varying aspirations and objectives for what could unfold. And it was on the co-facilitators to identify points of harmony among diverse and sometimes conflicting perspectives, and to encourage states to think in ways they had not before.

Of course, when it came to the negotiations, some aspirations had to be narrowed for words to find expression in a formal document. Naturally, it is hard to break moulds of thinking that have animated international thought in the multilateral system over decades. But, ultimately, I believe the declaration represents a significant consensus that emerged from what was initially perceived as almost insurmountable disagreement. And now we have a document, a five-page concise, action-oriented text, which gives us something very practical to work with.

Is there anything in the declaration that you see as a significant victory for civil society?

To begin with, the declaration, imperfect as it may be, is a significant victory itself. Any progress we make on this declaration is going to afford us opportunities for learning and innovation. It is a platform that will allow consultative discussion, healthy deliberation and deep and constructive critical thinking. That, to me, is a victory.

Second, the fact that the document is relatively short and in palatable language allows for enhanced accessibility and perhaps greater readership that can engage civil society, who can then take on a greater sense of ownership and socialise the declaration at the grassroots.

Third, paragraph 32 refers to a proposal for a Special Envoy on Future Generations to advocate for future generations and raise awareness of the long-term impact of decisions. The paragraph also calls for a review of the implementation of this declaration at the 83rd session of the UN General Assembly in 2028, which is a significant follow-through process.

I also see important degrees of support for social cohesion in this declaration. With the Second World Summit for Social Development coming up next year, this coherence between the concerns of future and present generations indicates a broadening sense of identity and a widening sphere of who we as individuals care for. This is a significant advance in terms of how we view our relationship to each other today and into the future.

What are the next steps, and how can civil society shape the implementation of the declaration?

I believe everyone, simply on a human level, sees the importance of considering future generations. If we start to view others as partners, instead of as opponents, this declaration can serve as a platform on which consultation can look different. Much discourse begins with disagreement, starting from when you sit at the table. But thinking about future generations, because of our concern for our children and their children, can be an opportunity to consider mutual assistance, trustworthiness, cooperation and forbearance, instead of competition, pressure and adversarial approaches.

The practicality of this document is such that diverse civil society, from diverse areas of the world, can find an opening to engage and start the conversation. Civil society can set the tone of what that discussion looks like, seeing people as collaborators, all tied together by our collective interdependence, which is at the heart of the declaration. Our challenge is to act and to consult differently than we have before. Perhaps civil society can also create space to imagine and explore how to bring this declaration to life, such as, for example, through tools that assess policies for their short-term and long-term implications.

If we do all this, there is so much possibility before us that we still can’t even imagine. When the telephone was invented, humanity wasn’t able to appreciate the potential that would unfold from it. But since then, we have built a web, networks, tools and mechanisms for mass communication, all from one invention. I think this declaration will also grow into something unimaginably profound if we support it with mechanisms and extend it through constructive consultation. We need to maintain optimism because the declaration affords us a new way of thinking, which, when supported by mechanisms for implementation and review, can ultimately have a drastic impact.

Get in touch with the Baha’i International Community through its website, and follow @bahaibic and @ceciliaschirmeister on Instagram and @BahaiBIC and @CecSchirmeister on Twitter.

The opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of CIVICUS.