One year on from the adoption of the UN Declaration on Future Generations, we are seeing remarkable momentum around the world. Across continents, citizens, parliamentarians, youth leaders and commissioners are translating the Declaration’s principles into practice — creating laws, frameworks and communities that safeguard the rights of future generations.
This energy has not come from institutions alone. It has come from people – from innovators who see that governing for the long term is both urgent and possible. The Declaration promised to recognise, at international level, the wave of experimentation already under way in countries and cities across the world. That promise is now coming to life.
Turning commitments into action
Since last year’s signing, the Declaration has catalysed action in more than 100 countries. National and local champions have been developing new approaches to embed foresight in governance, education and public finance. Our recently updated Implementation Handbook, One Year in Practicewas designed to capture this surge of creativity and to pay respect to the many actors who have moved the agenda forwards. The handbook sets out five key recommendations for the years ahead:
Bridge the information gap — ensure the Declaration’s commitments reach domestic ministries and institutions.
Strengthen global network weaving and knowledge exchange.
Catalyse action with strategic seed funding, especially for Global-South and youth-led initiatives.
Prioritise leadership and governance innovation in Global-Majority countries.
Institutionalise high-level political leadership through a UN Special Envoy for Future Generations.
Across the world, innovations are taking root — from Kenya’s Senate Futures Caucus and Norway’s citizen-led debates on national wealth, to Portugal’s wellbeing economy movement and the Netherlands’ Generation Test. These stories reveal new entry points for long-term governance in action. As the updated Handbook shows, a global movement is reshaping governance from the ground up, connecting communities who are already governing for the future.
In Canada, for instance, Generation Squeeze wrote directly to their UN Mission, urging support for the appointment of a Special Envoy for Future Generations:
“To deliver on commitments made to younger and future generations around the world, appointing a Special Envoy is a critical first step.”
The institutional linchpin
While this bottom-up innovation is inspiring, experience from every country engaged in the Dialogue Series points to the same lesson: lasting impact requires a clear point of coordination. Among the Handbook’s recommendations, one stands out as essential — the appointment of a UN Special Envoy for Future Generations.
Such a role would serve as a bridge between Member States, the UN system and citizens worldwide. It would ensure that the Declaration’s ambitions translate into practice: helping governments apply its principles, connecting intergovernmental processes on climate, peace and development, and supporting the UN community itself to act.
We know that this is not an easy moment to argue for new appointments within the UN. The reform discussions around UN80 are complex, and resources are under pressure. Yet we also know that philanthropic support exists to fund the post; that interest among Member States is genuine; and that the need for coherent leadership in the future has never been greater.
“At times of constraint, the most courageous investment we can make is in the capacity to think ahead.”
A global call for the future
In September, over 70 organisations and 150 individuals joined together to sign an open letter calling for the Envoy’s appointment this year — with signatories representing more than 70 countries across every region of the world including from Australia, Brazil, Germany, Kenya, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and United States. The signatories include former ministers, commissioners, youth networks and academics, pioneers who have dedicated their work to building fairer futures.
During the recent UN Foundation event on the Pact for the Future, Dr Nsah Mala, Future Generations Commissioner for Mbesse Kingdom in Cameroon, captured this spirit in his closing words:
“We have the goodwill and the momentum. What we need now is a champion, someone within the UN who can carry this agenda forward. We cannot be afraid of short-term issues when we are working for the long term.”
Acting on our collective promise
SOIF has been committed to convene partners in this work since the earliest conversations on the Declaration. What we are witnessing now — from the groundswell of national innovation to the shared call for an institutional champion — is precisely the future-focussed multilateralism that the UN was designed to uphold.
We believe this is a moment for courage and resolve. The foundations have been laid; the world is ready. The appointment of a Special Envoy for Future Generations would send a powerful signal that the UN is prepared to act on its own commitments — to equip the Organisation for the challenges ahead, and to honour the promise made to those who will inherit its decisions.
What you can do
Add your name. If you or your organisation/network has not yet signed, sign the open letter calling for the appointment of a UN Special Envoy for Future Generations.
Share it with your country’s Mission to the UN. Send the letter to your country’s UN Mission and encourage your representatives to champion the Envoy’s creation – kindly copy in Cat Tully so that we can stay connected and track the collective outreach effort.
Reaching out directly to Missions makes a huge difference.
