Sophie Howe speaking at the high-level roundtable.
Hours after UN Member States adopted the Pact for the Future and the Declaration on Future Generations on 22 September, SOIF convened global leaders, policymakers, UN representatives and civil society actors at a high-level roundtable. The event aimed to deliver key insights for the effective implementation of the Declaration contained in its flagship handbook, which focuses on action at the national, multilateral and UN country and regional levels. Recalling similar optimistic energy following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in 2015, Pedro Conceição said, “This reminds me of 2015 – when we passed the SDGs – the real work started then. But the difference is we didn’t have a handbook to guide us but we do now with the SOIF handbook, so I encourage you all to use it.”
“This reminds me of 2015 – when we passed the SDGs – the real work started then. But the difference is we didn’t have a handbook to guide us but we do now with the SOIF handbook, so I encourage you all to use it.” – Pedro Conceição
The Implementation Handbook
In launching its flagship Implementation Handbook for the UN Declaration on Future Generations, SOIF draws on years of foresight and long-term governance experience across more than 50 countries to provide a practical roadmap for translating the Declaration’s ambitions into concrete action. Based on insights from interviews with hundreds of changemakers, it provides national-level champions—both policymakers and civil society—with a framework to embed intergenerational fairness and long-term governance principles into their national strategies.
Real-world innovations in governance
Several countries have already made progress in embedding long-term thinking in their governance frameworks. Here are some examples that were discussed during the roundtable:
Kenya’s Futures Caucus. Senator Ledama Olekina shared Kenya’s progress with its Futures Caucus, a legislative aimed at ensuring future generations are at the centre of policymaking. He committed to passing future-centric legislation within the next year.
Australia’s Future Generations Bill. Clare Beaton-Wells introduced Australia’s Future Generations Bill. She noted the importance of an ecosystemic approach, including youth security foresight and policy reforms.
Portugal’s intergenerational governance approach. Hélder Sousa Silva highlighted Portugal’s leadership in promoting intergenerational dialogue under President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who has made this issue central to his agenda. Lídia Pereira, leader of Youth EPP has also championed youth engagement, making it a priority at the European level.
Commitments voiced by other countries. Critically the event focussed on action with parliamentarians and officials from countries and regions such as the EU, Portugal, Greece, Kenya, Peru and the US committing to next steps in implementing the Declaration.
Key insights from the roundtable
Former President Elbegdorj Tsakhia of Mongolia delivering his keynote speech.
The roundtable reminded us that while the Declaration is innovative, it is just the first step. The real challenge is turning these commitments into transformative action. Here are 5 more insights that emerged:
The window for change. Cat Tully stressed that the next 12-24 months is critical to move the needle on long-term governance. She highlighted the importance of learning from innovators who have already made progress and paying tribute to those who have been part of this global movement.
Performative vs transformative action. Sophie Howe addressed the “elephant in the room”—the widespread absence of long-term governance. She pointed out the risk of performative action and the need for clearly defined standards of what “good” looks like to ensure transformative implementation. The real work starts now.
Engaging citizens for lasting impact. Clare Beaton-Wells emphasised that meaningful policy change must involve active citizen engagement to succeed. The will to protect future generations is not enough—an ecosystemic approach is needed.
Addressing global threats. Elbegdorj Tsakhia and Kumi Naidoo called on the need for systemic innovation to address nuclear risks and climate change. Urgent action is needed, with Kumi stressing that climate action is about protecting future generations, not just the planet.
Expanding inclusivity. Discussions by Ronald Luiz dos Santos, Gustavo Westmann and Kumi Naidoo focussed on improving representation within global governance systems–especially for youth, indigenous communities and those from the Global South.
Read the Implementation Handbook for the UN Declaration on Future Generations here.
