Seychelles adopts Pact for the Future at summit at UN General Assembly in New York

Ramkalawan in his address at the UN Summit of the Future Plenary Session. (State House)

(Seychelles News Agency) - World leaders, including Seychelles' President Wavel Ramkalawan, adopted a Pact for the Future to transform global governance on Sunday at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

In his statement at the UN Summit of the Future Plenary Session, Ramkalawan said, "The Pact for the Future must not just mirror the aspirations of all nations – it must embody the hopes and dreams of the most vulnerable among us."

Ramkalawan stated, "We cannot afford to make commitments to strengthen global cooperation on climate action, sustainable development, and equitable access to resources only to see them diluted in implementation. The harsh truth is that, despite our ambitions, there is a real risk that these commitments will fall short, continuing to marginalise those who are already most at risk, shutting them out of the very decision-making processes that shape their futures."

The head of state of Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, said to ensure that the Pact for the Future truly represents all sectors of society, young people must be actively engaged in the development process, as their involvement is crucial to building a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable world today.

Ramkalawan said addressing the digital divide is just as crucial and that this inequality threatens to widen the gap between the haves and have-nots, making targeted action essential.

"Strong partnerships are vital to ensuring equitable access to the technologies and infrastructure that underpin modern development. These efforts must be supported by resilient multilateral institutions, international cooperation, global solidarity, and shared responsibility, as no nation can tackle these immense challenges alone," he added.

"To truly embody the principles of cooperation and shared responsibility, we must recognise and preserve the strategic significance of regions like the Indian Ocean, where fostering peace and collaboration is vital for both regional stability and the broader success of our global community," said Ramkalawan.

He said to ensure that the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for small island developing states (SIDS) truly succeeds "we must move beyond rhetoric and into action. We urge multilateral institutions to recognise the critical importance of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index and to implement it as a key tool in their policies, ensuring that the unique vulnerabilities of the most at-risk nations are given the priority they deserve in global financing strategies."

"Our collective future depends on the strength of our multilateral institutions and the solidarity of our global community. The challenges we face are daunting, complex, and deeply interconnected. No single country can hope to overcome them alone. We must restore trust in multilateralism and ensure that our global governance structures are not only responsive and inclusive but also effective and just," he added.

Ramkalwan said amid the challenges, there is hope and that the decisions made today will determine the world of tomorrow.

"For my small nation, the stakes could not be higher. We are ready – eager – to contribute to a future that is sustainable, equitable, and just. But we cannot do this alone. It is only through cooperation, mutual respect, and shared responsibility that we can hope to tackle the enormous challenges that confront us all. We need your partnership, your solidarity, and your unwavering commitment to ensuring that no one—no nation—is left behind," he concluded.