BUENOS AIRES HERALD:
Argentina declined on Sunday to endorse a key United Nations pact that aims for member countries to commit to action on issues including peace, poverty, climate change, and gender equality.
Foreign Minister Diana Mondino announced that Argentina would distance itself from the 56-point Pact for the Future while speaking at the Summit of the Future at the UN’s General Assembly in New York. She said the country’s decision was based on prioritizing the defense of economic freedom and private property.
“Many points in this pact go against or would hold back Argentina’s new agenda,” Mondino said. She explained that work on the document started in 2022, during the Alberto Fernández government, and that negotiations were “advanced” when Javier Milei became president. “Nevertheless, we proposed constructive actions that were not always taken into account, and that led to us deciding to dissociate ourselves [from the pact].”
“I assure you that my country is willing to continue working, as it always has, to rethink together the way forward in the face of urgent new global challenges that test us as humanity,” she said in her speech.
She also pointed out that the pact consists of non-legally binding aspirations, which every State can interpret autonomously.
The UN’s Pact for the Future, also referred to as the “2045 agenda” by critics, includes points on the empowerment of women and girls, stronger action on climate change, AI regulation, and upholding human rights. The 42-page document, which UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has described as a bet on multilateralism, was adopted on Sunday.
While it will not be legally binding, the Pact for the Future will be referenced in UN documents and resolutions as a commitment for all governments in order to comply with the UN Charter, which is legally binding.