You are here
United Nations Summit of the Future and Harvard Forest
The United Nations is the international governmental organization designed to foster peace, security, and cooperation around global concerns. Despite a diverse range of multilateral agreements, treaties, declarations, and mechanisms for peace building, the United Nations remains perplexed in the field of climate change and the role of the future. September 22-23, 2024 is the high-level United Nations General Assembly Summit of the Future, with two Action Days to precede the high-level summit.
The goal of the summit is to create a new international consensus on how to improve the present and protect the future through three critical documents:
- The Declaration on Future Generations
- The Global Digital Compact of the Future
- The Pact for the Future
With the globalization of climate research and education, tools from the United Nations such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2021 United Nations Common Agenda (Our Common Agenda) have functioned as useful guides for intersectional and cross-disciplinary dialogues. In addition, these predecessors of the summit have helped foster support for wider modes of civic, academic, and non-governmental organization participation at the United Nations.
Image shows Sustainable Development Goal #15: Life on Land.
In May of 2024, Harvard Forest's Indigenous Education Specialist Keshia De Freece Lawrence, alongside the Director Missy Holbrook and Director of Education & Outreach Clarisse Hart sought United Nations ad-hoc special accreditation for the high-level Summit of the Future. In July 2024, Harvard Forest received United Nation accreditation as a consultant for the Summit of the Future. With Harvard Forest leading in forestry protocols while growing in traditional ecological knowledge and Indigenous tribal inclusion, this opportunity and validation of climate science research is deeply powerful. In September, two representatives from the Harvard Forest Education Department will attend and consult for the Summit of the Future.
As this is a developing story, at the end of the Fall 24’ semester (December), Harvard Forest will be adding the appropriate United Nations documentation to the Harvard Forest Archives in commemoration of the institution's participation in the Summit of the Future, and election of Eastern Woodlands Indigenous representatives. Please stay tuned for updates by checking the Harvard Forest main website.
Image shows the Manchage Manexit trail at Harvard Forest. Photo by Scott Foster (Nipmuc).
