The core idea of the summit of the future is that humanity is facing a set of unprecedented challenges that can only be solved through global cooperation. The statement on the summit of the future is chapter 1 of this year’s Sustainable Development Report. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals — including the fight against poverty, hunger, disease and environmental degradation — requires sizeable public investments. Most importantly, the summit of the future is an invitation to intensive global brainstorming on how to make our deeply interconnected world fit for sustainable development in the 21st century. Jeffrey D. Sachs, a professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, is president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
