IOI is represented at the preparatory meetings for the UN Summit of the Future (September 2024); Geneva; January, February

IOI Representatives attended a series of preparatory meetings held recently for the UN Summit of the Future

• Town Hall Meeting with the President of the 78th session of the General Assembly, Palais des Nations, 27 February
• Virtual consultation — Feedback on the zero draft of the Pact for the Future with Major Group and other Stakeholders (MGoS) and Civil Society representatives, 21 February
• Briefing by Mr Maher Nasser on the 2024 UN Civil Society Conference, Palais des Nations, 15 February
• Briefing by Ms Michèle Griffin, Director of the Summit of the Future / Common Agenda Team in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, Palais des Nations, 25 January

The Summit of the Future is an initiative by the UN Secretary General, Mr Guterres, as an opportunity to shape more effective and inclusive multilateralism in our increasingly multi-polar world. The IOI supports the Summit of the Future and the planned outcomes, and engages with the preparatory process as a Non-governmental Organisation in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2007.  Thus IOI participated in the briefings of the preparatory process of the Summit of the Future through its delegates Awni Behnam, Mahin Faghfouri and Behzad Alipour Tehrany. 

The IOI delegation participated in two briefings at the UN European Headquarters in Geneva in anticipation of the Zero Draft of the Pact for the Future. NGOs and Civil Society associations accredited to ECOSOC were briefed by Ms Michèle Griffin, Director of the Summit of Future Common Agenda in the Executive Office of the SG, and Mr Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Division, Department of Global Communication, UN. While both briefings were informative and indicative of the commitments made, the emphasis was on the role of NGOs, civil society and non-governmental actors in  contributing to and shaping the whole process and its outcomes.

The IOI delegation, consequent to the second briefing, felt that the attention given to the Ocean and its sustainability was very marginal and inadequate and to address this concern, the IOI, on the invitation of the facilitator, will provide a written submission highlighting the critical importance of ocean to the survival of our humanity. 

The sustainability of the Ocean impacts and is impacted by all the principles and the ultimate underpinnings and objectives of the Summit. These have been defined in terms of peace,  prosperity,  progress,  sustainability and multilateral cooperation. Civil society should take advantage of the invitation of  the facilitators so that the commitment of civil society continues to be meaningful and substantive and engaged in the process through submission of written proposals to the process. The IOI is determined to continue to contribute to the Summit.