A PACT to renew global co-operation in the face of growing division and conflict has been agreed by countries at the UN.

The “Pact for the Future” was agreed at the start of the two-day Summit for the Future in New York, which preceded the UN General Assembly. The new agreement recognises that multilateralism — formal co-operation between nations through bodies such as the UN — needs to be strengthened to “keep pace with a changing world”, it says.

Its adoption has been hailed a “landmark achievement” by many in the faith and charity sector, who said that work now needed to begin to translate its rhetoric into action.

The pact seeks to be a blueprint to bring a divided world together to solve global problems, from poverty and growing inequality, to climate change and the use of artificial intelligence.

The UN secretary-general, António Guterres, has spent months negotiating the pact. “Our world is going through a time of turbulence and the period of transition, but we can’t wait for perfect conditions. We must take the first decisive steps towards updating and reforming international co-operation,” he said.

The 56 actions set out in the agreement cover the reform and expansion of the UN Security Council to make it more representative; a place for the UN in governing artificial intelligence; the phasing out of fossil fuels in energy systems; reform of multilateral financial institutions; and a recommitment to full nuclear disarmament and modernising UN peacekeeping, so that it evolves into war prevention. It also reiterates commitments to the International Court of Justice and the primacy of international law.

An appendix on artificial intelligence, the Global Digital Compact, is the first comprehensive global framework for digital co-operation and AI governance, the UN says. It commits countries to using, designing, and governing digital technology for the benefit of all, and to connecting all people, schools, and hospitals to the internet.

A second appendix, the Declaration on Future Generations, commits countries to finding meaningful opportunities for young people to participate in global decision-making, and a pledge to take concrete steps to take account of future generations in all decisions.

The pact was approved despite last minute attempts to derail it by Russia, which moved to defer the adoption of the pact. Its move was rejected by 143 votes to seven, with 15 abstentions. Russia had argued that the key issues addressed in the pact were issues of national jurisdiction, and the UN should not intervene.

Its supporters included Iran, North Korea, and Belarus.

Graham Gordon, the head of global advocacy from Christian Aid, said that the pact’s “reiteration of the role of multilateralism to tackle global issues” was significant, and that getting agreement to it was “no small task in the face of current geopolitical divisions”.

He continued: “The signing of the Pact for the Future document is a landmark achievement, in the face of opposition from Russia, other states and powerful fossil-fuel lobby groups. But now the real challenge begins: turning these hard-fought commitments into meaningful action, particularly for the Global South, where the stakes couldn’t be higher.

“The UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ urgent call for reform, pointing out that global governance and financial systems remain relics of a bygone era, resonated with me. It’s time these institutions truly represent the voices of all countries — not just the most powerful.”

The pact itself was non-binding, he said. “Success depends on how national governments engage, which is why civil society groups, including church groups, are important in bringing the key issues to their attention. For example, in the UK, Christian Aid is asking the UK Government to step up its action on debt relief, by passing legislation so that private companies that hold significant amounts of debt in African countries are forced to the negotiating table, and stop the current injustice where they continue to profit at the expense of investment in schools, hospitals, and climate action.”

The World Council of Churches has welcomed the pact as a “collective commitment to tackle the most urgent challenges of our time — climate change, inequality, peace, and justice”.

The Anglican Communion’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Martha Jarvis, also attended the summit to emphasise the part that churches play in multiple arenas, including negotiating in conflict, building peace, and supporting intergenerational dialogue. She said: “In our churches, we are creating respect across the generations, building cultures of peace, and increasing collaboration between science and faith. Given that the vast majority of the world — roughly 80 per cent — follow a religion, and so will be processing questions about their future through the lens of their faith, the power of this shouldn’t be underestimated.”