Syllabus
GS Paper 2 – Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India’s Interests
Context
The Summit of the Future fell short in addressing global governance and power imbalances, urging more influence for developing nations.
Source
The Hindu| Editorial dated 30th September 2024
Bridging the chasm of global inequality
The Summit of the Future has sparked crucial discussions on global governance, addressing whether the focus should be on great power competition or the existing imbalances in global institutions. The summit outlined various initiatives, addressing challenges such as global inequality, digital governance, AI, and sustainability. It also highlighted the ongoing power dynamics between developed and developing nations in shaping the global agenda.
Highlights of the UN Summit of the Future
Objective
- The UN Summit of the Future focuses on reforming and strengthening international governance to address global challenges and ensure a sustainable future for upcoming generations.
- Builds on past UN efforts like the 2022 UN Environment Stockholm+50 conference and the High Seas Treaty.
- Theme:
- The summit’s theme is ‘Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow’, highlighting the importance of collective global action.
Outcome Document
- The summit concluded with the adoption of the Pact for the Future, along with two annexes: the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations.
- Pact for the Future:
- Aims to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement objectives on climate action.
- Emphasizes a just transition from fossil fuels and commitments to ensuring a sustainable and peaceful future.
- Global Digital Compact:
- Focuses on equitable access to technology, ensuring it benefits all and addresses the digital divide.
- AI Governance:
- Introduced the first universal agreement on Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance.
- Proposes the creation of an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI within the UN, ensuring balanced geographic representation and enhancing scientific understanding through evidence-based assessments (aligned with SDG 17).
- Declaration on Future Generations:
- Urges long-term thinking by encouraging current leaders to consider the interests of future generations in decision-making.
- Commits to nuclear disarmament, regulation of autonomous weapons, and preventing an arms race in outer space.
- Marks the first multilateral support for nuclear disarmament in over a decade.
Inequality Between Developed and Developing Countries
- Economic Disparities:
- Developed countries possess higher GDPs, greater industrial capacity, and advanced technology compared to developing countries, which often struggle with lower per capita income, poverty, and limited infrastructure.
- This disparity contributes to an unequal global distribution of wealth and resources.
- Access to Technology:
- Developing nations face challenges in accessing modern technologies, including digital infrastructure and AI development.
- Developed countries dominate technological innovation, widening the digital divide and leaving developing nations behind in the global tech landscape.
- Global Trade Imbalances:
- Developing countries often rely on exporting raw materials, while developed nations export high-value manufactured goods and services.
- Unfavourable trade terms and protectionist policies by developed nations exacerbate economic inequalities.
- Debt and Financial Dependence:
- Many developing countries are burdened by high levels of external debt and often face unsustainable repayment terms.
- In contrast, developed countries control global financial institutions, shaping policies that often serve their own interests.
- Climate Change Responsibility:
- Developed countries, having historically contributed more to greenhouse gas emissions, now call on developing nations to adopt climate-friendly practices.
- However, financial support and technology transfer for adaptation and mitigation are often insufficient, aggravating the imbalance.
- Health and Education Gaps:
- Developing countries suffer from limited access to healthcare and quality education, impacting their overall human development.
- Developed nations enjoy advanced healthcare systems, higher life expectancy, and better educational standards, further deepening the global inequality.
UN Summit of the Future Fell Short in Bridging Inequality
- Lack of Concrete Financial Reforms
- The Summit pledged to give developing countries a greater say in global financial institutions, but it lacked specific, actionable steps to reform these institutions, perpetuating the existing imbalance.
- Incomplete Sovereign Debt Solutions
- While the need to review sovereign debt for developing countries was acknowledged, the Summit provided no clear framework for debt relief or meaningful financial support.
- Absence of Security Council Reform
- The Summit failed to propose a definitive pathway for reforming the UN Security Council, maintaining the status quo where powerful countries dominate global decision-making.
- Insufficient Focus on Global Inequality
- While the Pact for the Future emphasized sustainability and prosperity, it did not adequately address the economic disparities between developed and developing nations, focusing more on global goals rather than redistributive policies.
- Digital and Technological Divide
- The Global Digital Compact aimed for equitable technology access, but there were no binding commitments to ensure that developing countries can fully benefit from the digital economy, leaving a significant digital divide unaddressed.
- Limited Power Shift to the Global South
- Despite recognizing the growing influence of the Global South, the Summit did not offer a mechanism for these nations to set the global agenda, leaving developed countries, especially the G-7 , with disproportionate power.
- Over-reliance on Voluntary Commitments
- Many of the Summit’s initiatives, such as the Declaration on Future Generations, rely on voluntary action, which may not translate into binding commitments, especially from wealthier nations.
Conclusion
The Summit of the Future reflects the shifting dynamics of global power, acknowledging the persistent inequality in global governance but offering limited concrete solutions. For true progress, developing countries, especially in Asia, must engage deeply in emerging areas like AI and sustainability, shaping the future of global governance to reflect their unique priorities and perspectives on justice and equality.
Related PYQ
Discuss the impediments India is facing in its pursuit of a permanent seat in the UN Security Council? [ UPSC Civil Services Exam – Mains 2015]
Practice Question
Critically analyze the outcomes of the Summit of the Future in addressing global governance challenges? [150 words]
Guidelines to Answer
- Introduction:
- Briefly introduce the Summit of the Future and its focus on global governance reform.
- Body:
- Discuss the Summit’s outcomes, including the Global Digital Impact initiative, AI governance, and sustainability-linked GDP.
- Address the continuing dominance of developed countries (e.g., G-7) in agenda-setting and the limited progress on Security Council and financial institution reforms.
- Highlight the challenges faced by developing countries in gaining influence, despite growing economic and geopolitical power (BRICS, Global South).
- Conclusion:
- Summarize the Summit’s partial success in acknowledging imbalances but emphasize the need for more substantial efforts to address global inequality and provide developing countries with greater decision-making power.