Implementation
Our Common Agenda is an agenda of action, designed to strengthen and accelerate multilateral agreements – particularly the 2030 Agenda – and make a tangible difference to people’s lives. Translating its recommendations into action will require action by the Member States of the United Nations, supported by the United Nations system and other stakeholders.
Many proposals in Our Common Agenda will be implemented through existing processes and forums, including those relating to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our Common Agenda is aimed at addressing the crises we face head on, so that we can turbocharge the implementation of Agenda 2030, rescue the SDGs and get them back on track before it is too late.
Delivering Our Common Agenda
The submission of the Our Common Agenda report was welcomed by the General Assembly in November 2021 (A/RES/76/6), as a basis for further Member State discussion.
Informal thematic consultations by the General Assembly took place in February and March 2022. The President of the General Assembly then issued guidance on the way forward, pointing the way for the implementation of the report’s recommendations at the national, regional and global levels.
Member States agreed to hold the Summit of the Future on 22-23 September 2024. Practical consultations on preparations for the Summit also began in February 2023, spearheaded by co-facilitators, the Permanent Representatives of Germany and Namibia to the UN. The President of the General Assembly convenes all co-facilitators in a monthly meeting of the General Committee to coordinate their work.
Photo: The General Assembly holds consultations on the report of the Secretary-General on "Our Common Agenda" ©UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Over the next few years a number of proposed important milestones will drive intergovernmental action and help deliver Our Common Agenda:
- General Assembly consultations [March – April 2022]
- Transforming Education Summit [19 September 2022]
- Summit of the Future [22-23 September 2024] (A/RES/76/307), preceded by a preparatory ministerial meeting [21 September 2023]
- Biennial Summit on the global economy [date TBC]
- World Social Summit [2025 TBC]
In support of these milestones, the President of the General Assembly of the 77th Session has appointed or intends to appoint co-facilitators to advance different aspects of Our Common Agenda:
- Summit of the Future (Germany and Namibia)
- Global Digital Compact (Sweden and Rwanda)
- Declaration for Future Generations (Netherlands and Jamaica)
Find a full list of mandates here.
Speeches and Updates by the Secretary-General
The Secretary-General provides regular updates to Member States on developments and implementation of Our Common Agenda.
- October 2023: In Resolution 76/6 the General Assembly requested regular updates on Our Common Agenda. This first written progress report showcases implementation of the Common Agenda proposals that did not require new mandates or consideration at the Summit of the Future: Our Common Agenda: What have we achieved so far?
Remarks to the General Assembly Consultation
- March 2023: In launching the first two Our Common Agenda Policy Briefs, the Secretary-General referred to it as a “milestone on our road to Our Common Agenda and the Summit of the Future,” and detailed the recommendations on future generations and international responses to global shocks.
Remarks at the Launch of "Our Common Agenda" Policy Briefs
- February 2023: The Secretary-General noted that: “this must be the year when we lay the foundations for more effective global cooperation that can deal with today’s challenges, as well as new risks and threats down the line.”
Remarks to the General Assembly Consultation on our Common Agenda/Summit of the Future
- August 2022: The Secretary-General stated that: “while the problems before us are unprecedented, they are not insurmountable. Our Common Agenda attempts to correct our course, guided by the United Nations Charter, to build the safer, more resilient and inclusive world set out in the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Remarks to the General Assembly Consultation on "Our Common Agenda"
- March 2022: At the 5th General Assembly Thematic Consultation on Our Common Agenda, the Secretary-General pointed to the Summit of the Future as an opportunity for leaders to recommit to multilateral cooperation, based on the values enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
Remarks to the General Assembly Fifth Consultation on Our Common Agenda
- February 2022: At the 1st General Assembly Thematic Consultation following up to Our Common Agenda, the Secretary-General argued for the need to accelerate and scale-up action on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Remarks at the 1st General Assembly Thematic Consultation as a follow-up to the report "Our Common Agenda"
High-level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism
The Secretary-General also appointed a High-level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism (HLAB) to provide suggestions on ways to improve governance of key issues of global concern. The High-level Advisory Board issued its recommendations on 18 April 2023, with a view to supporting Member State deliberations at the Summit of the Future.
Photo: The High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism, an independent advisory body formed by the UN Secretary-General in support of Our Common Agenda ©UNU/HLAB Secretariat