The U.N. General Assembly approved a blueprint Sunday to bring the worldsa国际传媒檚 increasingly divided nations together to tackle 21st-century challenges from climate change and artificial intelligence to escalating conflicts and increasing inequality and poverty.

The 42-page sa国际传媒淧act of the Futuresa国际传媒� challenges leaders of the 193 U.N. member nations to turn promises into real actions that make a difference to the lives of the worldsa国际传媒檚 more than 8 billion people.

The pact was adopted at the opening of the two-day sa国际传媒淪ummit of the Futuresa国际传媒� called by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who thanked leaders and diplomats for taking the first steps and unlocking sa国际传媒渢he doorsa国际传媒� to a better future.

sa国际传媒淲e are here to bring multilateralism back from the brink,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淣ow it is our common destiny to walk through it. That demands not just agreement, but action.sa国际传媒�

The U.N. chief challenged the leaders: Implement the pact. Prioritize dialogue and negotiations. End sa国际传媒渨ars tearing our world apartsa国际传媒� from the Middle East to Ukraine and Sudan. Reform the powerful U.N. Security Council. Accelerate reforms of the international financial system. Ramp up a transition from fossil fuels. Listen to young people and include them in decision-making.

The pactsa国际传媒檚 fate was in question until the last moment. There was so much suspense that Guterres had three prepared speeches, one for approval, one for rejection, and one if things werensa国际传媒檛 clear, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

sa国际传媒淣o one is happy with this pact,sa国际传媒� said Russiasa国际传媒檚 deputy foreign minister, Sergey Vershinin.

The summit opened with him proposing amendments that would have significantly watered down the pact. Speaking on behalf of Africasa国际传媒檚 54 nations sa国际传媒� which opposed Russiasa国际传媒檚 amendments sa国际传媒� the Republic of Congo countered with a motion not to vote on the amendments. That motion was approved to applause. Russia only got support from Iran, Belarus, North Korea, Nicaragua, Sudan and Syria.

Assembly President Philemon Yang then put the pact to a vote and banged his gavel, signifying the consensus of all 193 U.N. member nations that was required for approval.

Russia has made significant inroads in Africa sa国际传媒� in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Central African Republic sa国际传媒� and the continentsa国际传媒檚 rejection of its amendments along with Mexico, a major Latin American power, was seen as a blow to Moscow by some diplomats and observers.

Yang announced ahead of speeches by world leaders that they would be muted after five minutes sa国际传媒� a rare occurrence at the United Nations, where words are the backbone. Among those who kept talking after their mics were silenced: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Kuwaitsa国际传媒檚 Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al Sabah and Irish President Michael Higgins.

The Pact of the Future says world leaders are gathering sa国际传媒渁t a time of profound global transformation,sa国际传媒� and it warns of sa国际传媒渞ising catastrophic and existential riskssa国际传媒� that could tip people everywhere sa国际传媒渋nto a future of persistent crisis and breakdown.sa国际传媒�

Yet, it says, leaders are coming to the U.N. at a time of hope and opportunity sa国际传媒渢o protect the needs and interests of present and future generations through actions in the Pact for the Future.sa国际传媒�

The pact includes 56 actions on issues including eradicating poverty, mitigating climate change, achieving gender equality, promoting peace and protecting civilians, and reinvigorating the multilateral system to sa国际传媒渟eize the opportunities of today and tomorrow.sa国际传媒�

Secretary-General Guterres singled out a number of key provisions in the Pact of the Future and two accompanying annexes, a Global Digital Compact and Declaration on Future Generations.

The pact commits world leaders to reform the 15-member Security Council, to make it more reflective of todaysa国际传媒檚 world and sa国际传媒渞edress the historical injustice against Africa,sa国际传媒� which has no permanent seat, and to address the under-representation of the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America.

It also sa国际传媒渞epresents the first agreed multilateral support for nuclear disarmament in more than a decade,sa国际传媒� Guterres said, and it commits sa国际传媒渢o steps to prevent an arms race in outer space and to govern the use of lethal autonomous weapons.sa国际传媒�

The Global Digital Compact sa国际传媒渋ncludes the first truly universal agreement on the international governance of artificial intelligence,sa国际传媒� the U.N. chief said.

The compact commits leaders to establish an Independent International Scientific Panel in the United Nations to promote scientific understanding of AI, and its risks and opportunities. It also commits the U.N. to initiate a global dialogue on AI governance with all key players.

The pactsa国际传媒檚 actions also include measures sa国际传媒渢o mount an immediate and coordinated response to complex shockssa国际传媒� including pandemics, Guterres said. And it includes sa国际传媒渁 groundbreaking commitment by governments to listen to young people and include them in decision-making.sa国际传媒�

As for human rights, Guterres said, sa国际传媒淚n the face of a surge in misogyny and a rollback of womensa国际传媒檚 reproductive rights, governments have explicitly committed to removing the legal, social and economic barriers that prevent women and girls from fulfilling their potential in every sphere.sa国际传媒�

Eighteen months of negotiations on the pact were led by Germany and Namibia. Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba said leaders must leave the summit committed to a path toward peace sa国际传媒� not one that leads to sa国际传媒渁n environmental catastrophe, widening inequality, global conflict and destruction and the rise of dangerous technologies that threaten our security.sa国际传媒�

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned that If countries donsa国际传媒檛 unite and implement the pactsa国际传媒檚 more than 50 actions, sa国际传媒渘ot only would history judge us sa国际传媒� but also young people around the world.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭he road is rocky,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淏ut was that ever any different?sa国际传媒�