It was unacceptable that people were still suffering extreme poverty and dying of hunger, Foreign Minister Ian Borg had told the UN's Summit of the Future.

The meeting is being held in New York as part of the General Assembly.

He insisted for action within the newly signed Pact for the Future for a more sustainable future as well as peace and security.

He also called for greater involvement in decision-making by women and young people, scientific innovation and international cooperation in digitalisation.

Pact promises to build 'brighter future' for humanity  

The "Pact for the Future," adopted on Sunday, is aimed at addressing sprawling 21st-century challenges ranging from conflict to climate change and human rights, despite last-minute objections from a group of countries led by Russia.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who organized the "Summit of the Future," had billed it as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to reshape human history by rekindling international cooperation.

Leaders pledged to bolster the multilateral system to "keep pace with a changing world" and to "protect the needs and interests of current and future generations" facing "persistent crisis." 

The pact outlines 56 "actions," including commitments to multilateralism, upholding the UN Charter and peacekeeping.

It also calls for reforms to international financial institutions and the UN Security Council, along with renewed efforts to combat climate change, promote disarmament, and guide the development of artificial intelligence.

The adoption of the text faced a brief delay when Russia's deputy minister of foreign affairs, Sergey Vershinin, introduced an amendment emphasizing the "principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states" and urging the UN to avoid duplicating efforts.

Russia's objections were backed by allies Belarus, North Korea, Iran, Nicaragua and Syria, but its amendment was overwhelmingly dismissed in a motion to take no action.