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What Is Intergenerational Justice?

—  아직 태어나지 않은 사람들의 권리국제 사회가 “미래 세대를 위한 정의”에 대해 이야기하기 시작한 이유는 무엇일까요? — \"아무리 노력해도 미래가 계속 사라지는 것 같아요.\"늦은 밤 도서관 불빛 아래서 지친 대학생이 내쉬는 한숨 소리 같다.고용 상황이 불안정하게 느껴진다.기후 위기가 점점 더 심각해지고 있다.인공지능은 세상을 빠르게 변화시키고 있습니다.전 세계 곳곳에서 전쟁과 분쟁이 계속되고 있습니다.불안이 만연한 이 시대에 우리는 종종 중요한 질문 하나를 놓치곤 합니다.“오늘날 우리가 누리는 것들의 비용은 누가 부담할 것인가?”정의는 본래 현세대가 던져야 할 질문이었다.고대 그리스 철학자 아리스토텔레스는 정의를 다음과 같이 묘사했습니다.“정의란 각자에게 마땅한 몫을 주는 것이다.”이 설명에서 알 수 있듯이, 오랫동안 \"정의\"는 같은 시대에 사는 사람들 사이의 문제로 이해되어 왔습니다. 그것은 누가 더 많은 부를 소유하고 있는지, 누가 권력을 행사하는지, 그리고 누가 기회를 얻는지에 관한 문제였습니다.하지만 이제 세상은 조금 다른 질문을 던지기 시작했습니다.오늘날의 탄소 배출량은 누구의 여름을 바꿀 까요 ?오늘날 국가 부채 증가는 누구의 세금으로 충당될 것인가 ?오늘날의 인공지능 규제가 제대로 설계되지 않으면 누구의 삶이 뒤흔들릴까요 ?이 질문들의 공통점은 다음과 같습니다. 현 세대가 누리는 혜택에 대한 비용은 미래 세대로 전가될 수 있다.바로 이 지점에서 국제 사회는 \"정의\"의 의미를 재고하기 시작했습니다.이것이 바로 세대 간 정의라는 개념입니다 .—  유엔은 왜 미래 세대의 권리를 선언하기 시작했을까요? — 미래 세대는 우리가 오늘날 내리는 결정에 어떤 역할을 해야 할까요?2024년, 유엔은 이 질문에 직접적으로 답변하기 시작했습니다.그 해답은 바로  미래를 위한 협약 이었습니다 .이 문서는 단순한 선언문이 아닙니다. 이는 국제 사회가 처음으로 미래 세대의 이익을 오늘날의 정책 언어로 표현하기 시작한 순간을 의미합니다 .특히 다음 한 문장이 이 선언의 핵심을 잘 보여줍니다.“우리는 미래 세대의 필요와 이익을 의사 결정 과정에 반영할 것입니다.”이는 미래 세대의 필요와 이익을 정책 결정 과정에 반영하겠다는 약속입니다.이것이 왜 중요할까요?Until now, most political systems have been designed around “people who are alive today.” Elections operate on four-year cycles, politicians think about the next election, and companies focus on the next quarter’s results.But the timeline of the climate crisis is completely different. It is a question of 50 years from now, even 100 years from now. Sea-level rise and ecological collapse do not arrive according to election schedules.That is why the international community is now recognizing that it is difficult to protect the future through present-centered politics alone.《Young People Are No Longer Just “Subjects of Protection”》The Pact for the Future includes a chapter on youth and future generations, Chapter IV: Youth and Future Generations. In this chapter, young people appear not merely as subjects to be protected, but as political actors who must help design the future.To make this commitment more concrete, the United Nations adopted a separate document called the Declaration on Future Generations. In this declaration, there is one sentence that deserves particular attention in relation to the idea of intergenerational justice: “We recognize that the decisions, actions and inactions of the present generation have an impact on future generations.”This means that not only the decisions and actions of the present generation, but even its inaction, affects future generations.Knowing about the climate crisis, yet responding too late.Knowing about inequality, yet leaving it unaddressed.Knowing about technological risks, yet failing to create rules.In the end, the cost of that inaction is passed on to future generations.People who have not yet been born cannot vote. They cannot speak in parliament. They cannot attend international conferences. And yet, the decisions made today will affect their lives for the longest time.《Future Generations Are Becoming a New Standard in International Politics》Recently, the international community has begun to consider new institutions.Wales operates a Future Generations Commissioner, and Finland has a Committee for the Future within its parliament.The United Nations makes this commitment:“We commit to promoting intergenerational solidarity, justice and equity.”It is a declaration to promote solidarity, justice, and equity between generations.This concept does not stop at climate issues alone.• Who is passing the cost of the climate crisis into the future?• How much is national debt narrowing the choices of future generations?• Who is making the rules for AI?• How much does today’s war threaten tomorrow’s peace?• How much do current systems exclude the voices of future generations?UN Pact for the Future (2024)— Key Principles Related to Future Generations1. Integrating the Interests of Future Generations into Decision-MakingCurrent policies should consider not only short-term outcomes, but also their impact on the lives of future generations.“We will integrate the needs and interests of future generations into decision-making processes.”2. Expanding the Participation of Future GenerationsParticipation structures should be strengthened so that youth and future generations can take part in policy processes.“Enhance the meaningful participation of youth and future generations.”3. Establishing Institutional Mechanisms for Future GenerationsRather than treating this as a one-time discussion, institutional mechanisms should be strengthened so that the perspectives of future generations can be continuously reflected.“Strengthen institutional mechanisms to represent future generations.”Source: United Nations, Pact for the Future (2024)Declaration on Future GenerationsTo learn more about global climate policy,take a look at the following article.⇊What is the IPCC(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate —  Why Intergenerational Justice Matters NowClimate, Artificial Intelligence, and the International Order— The reason intergenerational justice matters now is that we are making choices, all at once, that may be difficult to reverse.At the center of this are three major transformations: the climate crisis, artificial intelligence, and the international order.1. The Climate Crisis: Costs Deferred into the FutureClimate change is one of the clearest examples of intergenerational justice.The global average temperature has already risen by about 1.1°C compared to pre-industrial levels. Sea-level rise, food insecurity, and ecosystem collapse are likely to become even more severe in the future than they are today.We are already experiencing the effects of global warming, but the greatest costs still lie ahead. That is why the climate crisis is not simply an environmental issue, but a question of inequality being passed on to the next generation.2. Artificial Intelligence: Are We Creating the Future’s “Invisible Constitution”?AI is not simply a technology. It is a tool that rewrites the rules of society itself.UN Secretary-General António Guterres once said:“Artificial intelligence could be as transformative as the invention of the printing press.”This means that AI could fundamentally transform society as much as the printing press once did.The problem is speed. Technology is advancing rapidly, but the standards and ethics needed to govern it have not yet been sufficiently established.AI is already changing society as a whole. The way students complete assignments is changing, and the job market is being rapidly reshaped. Anxiety is also growing that many jobs may disappear.The algorithms, data rules, and accountability structures we create today are likely to become the basic order of society for decades to come.In the end, the question is this:“Are we now creating the ‘invisible constitution’ under which future generations will live?”3. The International Order: The Structure of the World Future Generations Will InheritSince the end of World War II, the international community has built an order centered on the United Nations and grounded in international law and norms. It was not perfect, but it served as a minimum framework for reducing war and enabling cooperation.But in recent years, the international order has been shaken significantly.The international affairs journal Foreign Affairs describes the situation this way:“The rules-based international order is under unprecedented strain.” This means that the logic of power is once again moving to the forefront, ahead of rules.The international order is a public good accumulated over many generations. And when this order weakens, those who will feel its effects for the longest time are future generations. War and conflict, refugee crises, and the collapse of international cooperation will ultimately reshape the stability of the world in which the next generation must live.—  The Future Has Not Yet Been Decided— So what can we do?It is not about becoming a grand hero.It is about becoming a citizen who thinks about the future.Studying climate issues.Reading policies critically.Understanding the direction of the international community.Refusing to give up on dialogue between generations.These small actions eventually change the direction of society.Perhaps intergenerational justice is, at its core, an attitude of imagining the lives of people we have not yet met.“Is the society we are building today fair to those who have not yet been born?”The international community has now begun to say that this question can no longer be postponed.And the people who will have to stand with this question the longest will probably be today’s young generation.Written by Sharon ChoiDirector of PlanningSunhak Peace Prize Secretariat Further Reading :What is the IPCC(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate References & SourcesConstitutional Climate Litigation (South Korea)• Constitutional Court of Korea. Decision on the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth (Constitutional Nonconformity), August 29, 2024 — Official ruling and summaryHuman Rights Assessment• Human Rights Watch. South Korea: Landmark Climate Ruling Protects Future Generations, 2024Environmental Citizenship Framework• 유럽 환경 시민의식 네트워크(ENEC). 환경 시민의식 프레임워크개인의 행동 및 배출량 감축• 유엔환경계획• 유엔환경계획(UNEP). 2023년 배출량 격차 보고서 - 개인 및 수요 측면 조치의 완화 잠재력https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2023도시와 시민 참여• UN-Habitat. 2022년 도시 회복력 보고서 - 참여형 도시 기후 회복력https://unhabitat.org/urban-resilience-report-2022• 타임스 오브 인디아. 델리, 폭염 대응을 위한 도시 변혁 연합 결성https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/new-urban-coalition-targets-heatwaves-climate-resilience-in-delhi/articleshow/121470613.cms• 르몽드. 리옹에서 \"시원한 섬\"이 폭염에 대한 해결책을 제시합니다.https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2025/08/15/in-lyon-green-islands-offer-a-cooling-solution-to-heatwaves_6744389_114.html기후 정책에 대한 청년 참여• 유럽 위원회. 유로바로미터 조사 2023 - 기후 관련 시위, 토론 및 청원에 대한 청년층 참여https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/3392환경 거버넌스• OECD. 환경 거버넌스: 시민 참여 및 기후 정책 성과https://www.oecd.org/environment/environmental-governance/기후 정의 및 불평등• 유엔개발계획(UNDP). 인간개발보고서 2023/24: 교착상태 타파 – 양극화된 세계에서 협력의 재구상재난 위험 및 기후 변화의 영향• 유엔재난위험감축사무국(UNDRR). 2023년 세계 평가 보고서https://www.undrr.org/gar성별과 기후 취약성• 유엔여성기구. 성평등, 기후 및 재난 위험 감소, 2022기업 책임 및 환경 모니터링• 글로벌 포레스트 워치(Global Forest Watch). 산림 손실 및 불법 벌채 데이터 및 보고서, 2023https://www.globalforestwatch.org환경, 인권 및 평화• 유엔 총회 결의안 A/RES/76/300: 깨끗하고 건강하며 지속 가능한 환경에 대한 인권, 2022https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3983329?v=pdf