What does the future hold in store for the Pact for the Future?

Fresh off my 13-hour flight to the United Arab Emirates, I’m ready to immerse myself in the vibrant energy of the Dubai Future Forum (DFF) — the world’s largest annual gathering of futurists. With over 2,500 participants, this year’s DFF promises a stimulating exchange of ideas, innovations, and strategies. Those in attendance will include strategic foresight specialists, strategists, and innovators from a variety of fields.

The meaty agenda addresses four thematic tracks — Futuring Nature, Transforming Humanity, Optimizing Health, Empowering Generations. The program is peppered with 70 keynotes, panels and workshops that will take place November 19–20. My toughest decision? Figuring out how to cram as much inspiration as possible into two days. If this year’s edition mirrors the last, I’ll leave with my mind buzzing from the knowledge and insights shared by visionary thinkers and forward-looking subject gurus.

But there’s something extra special this year: DFF’s focus on the UN Summit of the Future and its landmark achievement, the Pact for the Future. Adopted by government leaders in September, the Pact aspires to redefine global cooperation, tackling urgent challenges like climate change, digital inequality, and peacebuilding. It’s a bold vision, incorporating 56 actions and associated commitments spanning…