How a “guardian” for future generations can transform global policymaking

In December 2024, the International Court of Justice welcomed a record-breaking number of States to present their statements in a historic case that will determine, in essence, the obligations of States toward future generations in relation to climate change.

This advisory opinion was requested through a UN resolution (A/RES/77/276, adopted 29 March 2023) at the initiative of Vanuatu, following the advocacy of the youth-led organization Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change. The questions posed to the Court extend beyond examining States’ duties to address climate change; they explicitly extend to the rights of generations unborn that will be affected by the consequences of our present actions or inactions.  

By reframing the temporal perspective, this case challenges the Court to include considerations for generations yet to be born in its decision. The resulting opinion could profoundly reshape how States approach policymaking by acknowledging the far-reaching consequences of today’s decisions on those who will inherit the world tomorrow, and solidifying the legal basis governing their rights.  

While scientists have long confirmed the long-term impacts of climate change on biodiversity and the planet’s habitability, other critical trends, such as debt, rising inequalities and technological evolutions also carry long-term implications, requiring policy guidance. As the Court deliberates, another unprecedented development is simultaneously unfolding at the United Nations: the appointment of a Special Envoy on Future Generations. This new role holds the potential to bridge gaps in addressing these complex challenges by ensuring the long-term interests of humanity are placed at the forefront of global decision-making.

This appointment stems from a decision by the UN Secretary-General and was backed by Member States during the 2024 Summit of the Future, when they endorsed a "Declaration on Future Generations", annexed to the Summit’s main outcome document, the "Pact for the Future". While the concept of a UN “Guardian for Future Generations” is not new, having roots in the 1987 Brundtland Report, the Summit has revived this important initiative. Just two weeks after the Summit, the Secretary-General confirmed plans to appoint the Envoy “in the coming weeks”; the announcement was made by Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference. If the appointment happens in 2025, it could support a systemic transition, freeing institutions from the paralysis of what the social philosopher, Roman Krznaric, has termed “the tyranny of the now”.  

While the specific missions, the timing of the appointment and the individual(s) being considered for the role remain unclear, this article reflects on the experiences of “guardians” of future generations – a term that refers to independent or government-appointed advocates that promote the rights of those yet to be born (as seen, for instance, in Wales, Hungary and Finland)  – and initiates thinking on the role the Special Envoy will need to take and its intrinsic qualities.  

What does it mean to be a guardian for future generations?

Since the Brundtland Report in 1987, the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 and the UNESCO Declaration on the Responsibilities of Present Generations toward Future Generations in 1997, the idea of taking into account future generations in decision-making has been growing, driven by concerns about the long-term impacts of global challenges such as climate change.  

However, these Declarations did not come with a centralized or systematic mechanism to support implementation. The only attempt dates back to the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 when, building on the Indigenous 7th Generation Principle, Malta proposed a concrete representative – or a “Guardian” – for those not yet born; the term “Guardian” encapsulating the fundamental aspects of care, responsibility and protection, enshrined since the 12th Century in the Great Law of Haudenosaunee Confederacy.  

While the Maltese idea was not included in the final document, a growing number of Member States subsequently created institutions drawing from this philosophy, ranging from Parliamentary Commissions or groups in Uruguay and Japan to Ministerial Committees in Malta and dedicated ombudspersons, such as in Wales. Calls for a “Guardian” at the UN level gained momentum again at the UN's Rio+20 Earth Summit in 2012, as part of preparations for the 2030 Agenda. However, the proposal was not adopted due to concerns about the need to represent States at different levels of development.

It was not until 2021, through the UN’s Our Common Agenda report (and later in the Secretary General’s Policy Brief To Think and Act for Future Generations), that the idea of a UN Envoy for Future Generations was resurrected, finally gaining traction at the Summit of the Future. Embarking Member States on that journey, however, has been challenging. During negotiations on the Pact for the Future, for instance, many Member States had difficulties understanding the difference between youth and future generations. Other Member States wondered whether it was possible to appoint someone to represent people who do not yet exist.  

However, the question is not about accurately representing a fictive demographic group, but how an ombudsperson could play a crucial role of trusteeship and articulate concerns over the long-term impacts of our current decision-making in the name of future generations. Now that Member States and the Secretary General’s office have agreed upon the appointment of a Special Envoy, the role still needs to be defined. Decades of experimentation related to “Guardians” reveal several important lessons and gaps; recommendations to address these gaps and shape the role in beneficial and positive ways are provided below.    

Representing the interests of future generations in the UN System

The Envoy’s primary role is to advocate for future generations, ensuring they are integrated into UN policies and decision-making processes. For this to happen, it’s crucial that the Envoy participates in global policy design and review, ensuring that a future-oriented perspective informs collective decisions at the multilateral level, in the design, implementation and monitoring of policies. This includes participating in intergovernmental discussions, UN briefings, reports and specific forums. The recently adopted UN Common Principles on Future Generations, produced by the High-level Committee on Programmes Core Group on Duties to the Future, have paved the way for a rapid adoption of this strategic approach.  

Facilitating policy innovation and cross-border knowledge exchange

At the national level, the Envoy can play a critical role in helping Member States innovate and adopt policies that protect future generations, drawing on global expertise. The Envoy can offer tailored advice and connect countries with practical tools and successful policy models from other nations. For instance, if a country wants to establish a "Committee for the Future" or experiment with long-term accounting tools, the Envoy can build a knowledge platform and provide technical support to ensure implementation. Given the diverse and evolving needs of Member States, the Envoy can also serve as a matchmaker, linking policymakers with relevant experts, research institutions and civil society networks. In that duty, the experience of the Network of Institutions and Leaders of Future Generations, an independent international network encompassing organizations and leaders that promote the rights, interests and well-being of future generations, can help identify the different institutional and systemic challenges faced by existing structures.  

Convening policymakers and promoting best practices

By facilitating multilateral networks on future generations, the Envoy can facilitate coordination and dialogue among national and subnational policymakers. The Envoy may organize or support regular forums where existing representatives of future generations (for example, the Intergenerational Fairness Commissioner of the European Union, or the Future Generations Commissioner of Wales), parliamentarians and Government foresight and futures units (such as the Centre for Strategic Futures of Singapore) can come together to exchange best practices on intergenerational policies, applied to different contexts and levels of development.  

Reviewing and reporting on the implementation of the Declaration on Future Generations

Bearing in mind the perspective of the 2028 review of the Summit of the Future, the Envoy will need to build innovative tools to monitor progress on the commitments made in the Declaration on Future Generations, offering a feedback loop for Member States. The Envoy can compile regular reports highlighting innovative approaches, successes and challenges faced by Member States in implementing policies that protect future generations. These reports should aim to inspire rather than penalize, focusing on best practices that can be replicated or adapted by other countries. Since it is a groundbreaking and novel agenda for the UN, the Envoy will face an exciting and challenging mission: formalizing metrics and policy advice for an effective practice of long-term governance.  

On request, the Envoy can assist individual countries in reviewing their efforts to meet the commitments of the Declaration. This demand-driven function will help nations identify gaps and develop strategies to overcome barriers to progress. It can build on the already existing self-assessment tool for decision-makers, built by the School of International Futures.

Building trust and facilitating inclusive dialogue

The Envoy will have a critical role in fostering inclusive public dialogue to bridge the gap between present and future generations and answer a need for more participatory democracy. Since Civil Society Organizations, such as the World Future Council, were critical in campaigning for the creation of such a role, the Envoy benefits from a conducive environment to create multistakeholder dialogues, especially in the aftermath of the Nairobi Civil Society Conference with Major Groups and a vibrant ImPact Coalition for Future Generations.  

Onboarding a vocal advocate for a decisive decade

The mission is immense and challenging. There are multiple concerns from decision-makers that the Special Envoy will need to address, and questions still to be answered, such as, what are the key milestones Member States can expect from an Envoy on Future Generations? How can we measure progress on implementation? And, how can we ensure that future generations are not conflated with youth?  

This role, given its short-term nature (approximately 3 years), will need to be filled by a seasoned, outspoken and action-oriented personality that combines the following skillset.  

A forward-looking approach to governance with a proven ability to navigate complex international and multilateral settings is crucial. The Envoy must have the capacity to think long term and foster an intergenerationally fair approach to multilateralism, while seeking to include diverse stakeholders in conversations about the future. It is essential that the Envoy advocates for long-term governance and the protection of future generations.

Being a fearless advocate for the interests of future generations. Since the Envoy’s role in the first three years will focus on advocacy and awareness raising around future generations, the appointee will need to be vocal and highlight key areas of transformation that will help or hinder the wellbeing of future generations.  

An expert in matters related to future generations. While no individual can be expected to cover the full range of actions and tools Member States can adopt to support future generations, the Envoy will need to understand the history of caring for future generations at the UN to navigate the complexity of its diffusion. Additionally, they will need to have strong relationships with leaders in the fields of foresight, futures, anticipatory governance, systems change and the well-being economy.  

The ability to connect to Member States globally. An individual with significant existing networks and recognition will be critical for mainstreaming efforts to protect future generations in line with the catalytic objective of the Declaration on Future Generations. Because the future should not be owned and designed only by a few, the Special Envoy should also actively seek to enable citizen engagement through traditional and innovative channels.  

Given the significant expectations for an Envoy, one possible organizational model could be to have a joint envoy arrangement in which two individuals, one from the North and one from the South, shared responsibilities. This innovative model could set the ground for a new face of leadership and the value of shared leadership. This idea builds on the proposal developed by the former Group of Friends on Future Generations, co-chaired by Kenya and Ireland and supported by the Mary Robinson Foundation and 20 other Member States.  

In 2017, they pushed for the appointment of three UN “Guardians of Future Generations” from countries “at different levels of development” which could help to “balance the needs of current generations living in poverty and underdevelopment with the economic, social and environmental needs of future generations.” Demographic trends show that the majority of the population in 2100 will live in Africa or Asia. If we want to bring voices from the future to the present accurately, we cannot overlook these dynamics.  

The process to appoint the Special Envoy is now underway at the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. Observers of the UN will be keeping an attentive eye on a critical role that could have significant implications for future-oriented policymaking.