German Chancellor Scholz addresses UN Summit of the Future

New York (dpa) - Despite deep political divisions, the 193 member states of the United Nations are expected to adopt a reform plan in New York on Sunday. Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz will attend the event. The “Pact for the Future” was negotiated under the leadership of Germany and Namibia. UN Secretary General António Guterres had been calling for ambitious reforms to the United Nations and other international organisations in order to make the international community fairer and better able to act in the face of multiple crises and wars. Scholz and Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba will give speeches at the beginning of the event. 

Negotiations on the pact have been underway since the beginning of the year. It includes declarations of intent to reform the UN Security Council and calls to rebalance the international financial system in favour of the Global South. The Pact will also form the first plank in global regulations around artificial intelligence. The text also opposes an arms race in space. 

Chancellor Scholz arrived in Manhattan on Saturday, where he attended a private dinner with UN head Guterres in the United Nations headquarters. Before leaving New York on Monday evening (local time), Scholz will also meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Türkiye’s President Tayyip Erdoğan and the Brazilian Head of State Inácio Lula da Silva.