The urgency of protecting the rights of future generations took center stage at the Foundation’s UN Human Rights Council side event, "Defending Human Rights for Future Generations." Echoing the UN Secretary-General’s warning that "our world is heating off the rails", the discussion focused on the critical need to embed intergenerational equity into global governance, particularly in light of the new UN Declaration on Future Generations. Ana Paula from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) emphasized that international law – from the UN Charter to the recent ICJ (International Court of Justice) advisory opinion on climate change – already defines our generation as "trustees of humanity," tasked with preserving dignified living conditions for those who come after. When states undermine multilateralism and democracy, they compromise the interests of future citizens. During the discussions, it was made clear from the start that defending human rights is a task that must transcend short-term political thinking and national interests.

 The most compelling message came from the frontline. Young human rights defenders and pro-democracy activists from Ukraine and Lebanon rejected the notion of passively waiting for a future to be handed to them. Hania Knio from Lebanon, President of the International Federation for Liberal Youth (IFLRY), affirmed that, when forced into crisis, the youth become the primary driving force of resilience. The time to act is now, stressed Alina Piddubna from Ukraine. The decisions taken today will define the world that future generations will inherit. Their message to the global community is clear: to defend human rights for future generations, we must defend democracy and multilateralism in the present. "The future is not a gift, it's an achievement" and it is one we must build through sustained effort and solidarity.