Speech by Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany at the reception on the occasion of the Summit of the Future New York, 23 September 2024

Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Friends of the United Nations,

It's a pleasure to be here with all of you tonight - thank you for joining us.

Today, we celebrate the Pact for the Future!

We celebrate our renewed commitment to the Charter of the United Nations, to international law, to the 2030 Agenda, to the Paris Agreement, and to the protection of human rights.

We celebrate our unanimous support for driving forward essential institutional reforms of the international system, particularly the Security Council and the International Financial Architecture.

We celebrate the global consensus to work towards building a world that is safe, peaceful, just, equal, inclusive, sustainable and prosperous.

A world in which human wellbeing, security, dignity and health are a reality not just for some, but for the many.

But by forging this consensus we have achieved even more - something even bigger.

We are discrediting the aggressive narrative of division, polarisation and uncertainty that is poisoning our debates in so many countries.

We are proving that cooperation still yields results.

That multilateralism is alive.

That global solidarity exists.

We are showing the world that there is much more that unites us than divides us.

I am grateful that we - Namibia and Germany together - have been able to contribute to this success.

Just before the start of the Global Call we organised ten days ago to drum up support for this Summit, my friend President Mbumba mentioned that this was probably the first ever three-way call between Berlin, Windhoek and New York.

I just want to add: After the first attempt worked so well, just imagine what we can accomplish once we get more accustomed to doing this!

But in all seriousness: our collaboration shows what we can achieve when two partners from different corners of the planet, with different goals, different stories, but common principles, join hands.

My friend President Mbumba and I know how much effort and dedication went into the negotiations leading up to the Pact for the Future.

The negotiations were anything but straightforward.

At times it felt like consensus was slipping out of reach - only to be brought back again at the very last moment.

I would therefore like to thank in particular both Permanent Representatives - Neville Gertze and Antje Leendertse (they are so in sync that even their names rhyme) - for their commitment and for the intense work they and their teams have done.

(Yes, that deserves a round of applause!)

Ladies and gentlemen,

Diplomacy isn't just about the big agreements.
It is as much about persistence, patience, and building trust over time.

Germany is deeply committed to this in all of our multilateral efforts.

Reaching out to others, building consensus, defending our joint principles - this spirit of cooperation also underpins our candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2027/2028.

We stand ready to contribute to international peace and security, and we would be grateful for your support!

Excellencies, colleagues,

Whether the Pact for the Future delivers real, lasting change for people everywhere depends on all of us.

So, while the negotiations are finished, a new task begins. The task of putting words into action, of turning today's hope into tomorrow's reality.

But before we think about work again - tonight is a time for celebration.

Thank you for being here and thank you for your support.

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