Professor Xiaomeng Shen speaks at the United Nations in New York

The Future Summit focussed on sustainable development, peace and security, human rights and humanitarian issues. In her speech, Professor Xiaomeng Shen emphasised the importance of science and research "to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and ensure a prosperous, resilient and peaceful planet for present and future generations".

The text of her speech:

"Mr President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,

We find ourselves at a critical moment in history: an intensifying climate crisis; growing inequality; endemic violence; and the emergence of new technologies are entrenching old divisions and creating new fault lines that threaten the cohesion of our societies.

The Summit of the Future is an opportunity to collectively address these challenges and deliver on the vision we established here - almost ten years ago - with the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Summit - and the Pact for the Future - is a defining moment for current and future generations. Decades from now, I hope that our children will look back and acknowledge the Summit as a momentous occasion, and that they will agree that we have been good ancestors who laid the foundations of a more just, sustainable and peaceful world.

The Secretary-General has argued that we "can't build a future for our grandchildren with a system that was built for our grandparents."

Our future will be defined by the collective commitments we make today - to transition away from fossil fuels, strengthen the governance of new technologies, build peace, and reform the international financial architecture.

Science and research will be a critical facilitator of this shift: informing the development of policies and solutions and ensuring they will have real impact.

The United Nations University - through its collaborative research and education - is a source of impartial knowledge, evidence and policy solutions.

We have been committed to the development of the Pact for the Future and we are committed to its successful implementation.

We offer you a bridge to the scientific community.

We offer you a neutral space to test ideas and build new coalitions around bold policy solutions.

We offer you our expertise and our networks in service of a reinvigorated multilateralism.

Today, as we seek a new consensus to accelerate the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and secure a prosperous, resilient and peaceful planet for current and future generations, it is imperative that we acknowledge and make strategic use of science and scientific institutions.

Thank you."