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On 22 September 2024, world leaders came together at the United Nations Summit of the Future to adopt a landmark agreement called the Pact for the Future, alongside a Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations. These important agreements include actions aimed at using futures thinking and foresight (along with advances in science, data, and technology) to make better long-term decisions. One of the key objectives is to ensure that governments are better prepared for future global challenges by incorporating the needs of future generations into today's decision-making.

In alignment with UNESCO’s ongoing support for governments in developing forward-thinking policies, this year’s World Futures Day serves as a platform to explore the integration of futures literacy and foresight for long-term decision-making and inclusive policies. 

As part of the global celebration of World Futures Day 2024, UNESCO's Management of Social Transformations & Foresight Section (MOST), within the Social and Human Sciences Sector (SHS), invites thought leaders, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to contribute thought pieces in order to surface and synthesize critical reflections, innovative approaches, and best practices.

This year's theme, "The Future of Global Social & Economic Progress”, encourages forward-looking reflections on how futures literacy and foresight can contribute to addressing key global challenges, including the impacts of inequality, climate change, and technological transformation on societies and economies. In an increasingly interconnected world, fostering sustainable progress requires the development of approaches that integrate long-term thinking into policy frameworks. 

This theme invites thought pieces that explore how anticipatory governance, and inclusive strategies can help build resilience, promote equitable social and economic development, and ensure that progress benefits all segments of society. 

Themes:

• Reimagining economic and social progress through futures literacy and foresight

• Anticipatory governance for global challenges, including ensuring the needs of future generations are included in today’s policymaking. 

• Approaches for public institutions to leverage futures for social equity and inclusion

• Futures approaches to help policymakers address the interconnected nature of social and economic progress.

• Pieces to support increased public use of futures literacy and foresight as a critical skill for long-term decision-making, fostering a future-oriented culture in governance.

Format and Language: 

• Up to 1000 words (not including references). 

• Include in-text citations and a reference list in . 

• Use British English spelling. 

• Use visuals or graphs if they assist you in presenting your argument. 

• Avoid jargon and highly technical terms, as well as rhetorical questions and expressions that are not easily understood by non-native English speakers. 

• Avoid exercise listing and use of bullet points; the think-piece should be read as a coherent text. 

Audience: 

• Target knowledge producers and policy makers from across sectors and countries, tailoring the analysis and the ensuing messages or recommendations to the two groups. 

Content:

• Base, when possible, the think piece on your previous research and work, keeping it factual and digesting the more technical/substantive points into actionable lines and analysis. 

• Attempt to use specific country and/or policy examples, especially when they come to narrow down the discussion or illustrate the more complex, technical points raised. 

• Consider the connection between your think piece and UNESCO’s Social & Human Sciences mandate and the .

• Conclude your piece with action-oriented recommendations or messages to knowledge producers (e.g., on research gaps, research priorities) and policy makers (e.g., on emerging thinking and research that deserves increased attention, policy trends and possible action). 

• Write 3 to 4 full-sentence takeaways summarizing the piece and recommendations/ messages, placing the takeaways as bullet points before the main text. 

Eligibility:

• Submissions are open to: Thought leaders, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers with experience in foresight, futures literacy, and policy innovation.

• Thought pieces must be original work of the authors. 

Key Dates: 

• Submission Deadline: 15 January 2025.

• Notification of Selected Contributions: 31 March 2025.

• Selected contributions will be published as part of a collective report, which will be published after World Futures Day 2024.

• Please send your thought pieces to futures@unesco.org with the subject line "WFD 2024 - Thought Piece Submission”. 

• Please include your full Name, role, and affiliation. 

• Submissions must be in English.