The universalism of human rights transcends
time. Equity must be intergenerational.

- Young leader, Nigeria

At a time when trust is being destroyed within our societies, our institutions are stranded in thepast, and governments fight among themselves rather than work towards common ends…
A shared commitment to future generations can help us to rise above an exhausting cycle ofnever-ending crises; foster solidarity between people of all ages and cultures; and shape abetter future for people and planet.
10.9 billion people are yet to be born this century - many more than are currently alive. They will
inherit the consequences of our action and inaction.
Every global crisis that we fail to prevent erodes the legacy and prospects we leave to ourchildren and their descendents, and hamstrings our ability to plan for the long term.
But every step we take to tackle the problems of today and invest in the future allows us to fulfill
our responsibilities towards future generations and be better ancestors.
Today, as we reflect on 50 years of global action to protect the environment, we are grateful forthe progress that has been made. We are also aware of how much remains to be done to afford
future generations opportunities to thrive.
As young people, some of us will live to see the end of this century, while our children andgrandchildren will live far into the next. We are a bridge to the future, uniquely positioned
to be both recipients and designers of a better tomorrow.
We are determined therefore, to build on the Secretary-General’s vision to expand ourunderstanding of “we the peoples” to include the 10.9 billion people yet to be born this century,
as well as the peoples of centuries to follow.
And in this spirit, we present this Contract for Our Future to invite and inspire collective action
for future generations.

Humanity is one long line of ancestry that must learn
to take care of one generation after another, in orderfor us to thrive and for our planet to thrive.
- Young Leader, USA

Digitally sign the Contract for Our Future here:

ourfutureagenda.org/stockholm50

A CONTRACT FOR OUR FUTURE
As leaders of today and tomorrow, we commit to:− Fulfill our role as custodians of our planet and humanity, capturing the learning fromindigenous cultures and movements to deliver intergenerational justice.
− Build a future of freedom, justice, peace, and well-being, whilst dismantling systems ofviolence, colonization, patriarchy, and inequity.
− Empower those with the greatest stake in the future, correcting the power imbalances
experienced by places where the majority of future generations are projected to be born.
− Think scientifically and creatively about the future, putting ourselves in the shoes of thepeople of tomorrow, and challenging entrenched assumptions about the way the worldshould operate.
− Collaborate with leaders from all generations and cultures to act in the short, medium,and long-term interests of humanity.
❖Acknowledging the power of intergenerational co-leadership, we call on community,national, and international leaders to:− Act now to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals and to meet global promises wehave made on climate change in the Paris Agreement.
A Decade of Action serves the interests of future generations as much as ours, especially when
we accelerate sustainable solutions that reach the furthest behind.
− Invest in and provide equal opportunities for the women and girls of today and of thefuture.
We can only chart a path to a better future by advancing the rights and freeing the potentialof women and girls.
− Reform and build institutions to be resilient to crises and capable of planning for thefuture.
Future generations need rapid improvements in the way we prevent and respond to threats
and in our ability to prepare for and harness innovation.
− Create robust legal and accountability mechanisms, which articulate our responsibilities
to protect the rights of future generations.
In today’s governance systems, future generations do not have a voice. We must use the law
to strengthen intergenerational justice and provide future generations with avenues to exert
their power.

− Rethink the way we value the future by designing and adopting processes to assess thefuture impact of decisions made today.
Leaders should work with scientists who study and develop far-sighted strategies to better assess
global catastrophic risks, deliver intergenerational public goods, and tear down frameworks that
discount the future.
❖To take forward this contract, we set out a 5 point plan for the international community tostart working across time: a new frontier of multilateral cooperation. We ask:
1. Thinkers and activists of all ages to join our mission to champion intergenerational
co-leadership, and the interests of future generations, by:− Signing this Contract for our Future.
− Drawing on this Contract as a basis for dialogue and movement building(#ContractForOurFuture).
2. Member States to draft a Declaration on Future Generations in time for the Summit of theFuture through far-reaching consultation, culminating in a Global Citizens’ Assembly thatdraws on imaginative models of dialogue pioneered by the Future Design movement.
3. Member States to finalize and agree on the Declaration at the Summit of the Future in2023 and to use it as a basis for collective action to advance a common agenda for present
and future generations.
4. The United Nations Secretary-General to appoint a Special Envoy on Future Generations
at the Summit of the Future and provide them with the support and resources to:− Advocate on behalf of future generations during major global events anddecision-making processes.
− Endorse, convene, and support national future generations representatives, buildingon the Network of Institutions for Future Generations as a platform for learningand coordination.
− Create a plan of action for future generations that builds on the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, proposals in Our Common Agenda, and the success ofexisting future generations initiatives.
− Design mechanisms to hold the international system accountable for carrying out
this plan of action.
5. The United Nations to establish a Futures Laboratory by 2025 in preparation for theWorld Social Summit, bringing together experts from all fields to contribute to knowledge
on future trends, exchange best practices on long-term policymaking, and support leaders
at all levels of governance to better understand and act for the future.