Oxfam International

09/23/2024 | Press release | Archived content

Oxfam's reaction to the Summit of the Future’s Pact

In response to the Summit of the Future's Pact, Oxfam Executive Director Amitabh Behar said:

"The hijacking of multilateralism by a few powerful nations has crippled the UN's ability to deliver on its mandate on peace and security. The Pact does reiterate some key core principles, but is far removed from the expectations of this generation, and hardly recognizes the gender identity spectrum or the need for emissions cuts. This is partly because the process was top-down and lacked meaningful civil society participation throughout. The Pact has been adopted while the digital divide is widening and powerful nations lead on the AI race and other resources.

"Real reform should start with dismantling the outdated power structures of the UN, especially its Security Council. The decades-old UN Charter needs a full overhaul to better reflect today's world and challenges. True change will only come from people power - when grassroots organizations and local activists take center stage, pressuring powerful nations to deliver meaningful results."