25 October 2013: The UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) Third Committee discussed justice in relation to sustainable development and the post-2015 development agenda, as Special Rapporteur Pablo de Greiff warned that short-term economic development should not be traded off against human rights considerations.

The Third Committee, which addresses social, humanitarian and cultural affairs, discussed de Greiff’s statement on 25 October 2013, under its agenda item on the promotion and protection of human rights. De Greiff is Special Rapporteur on the Promotion of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non-Recurrence.

He outlined ways in which human rights violations undermine development, stressing that without justice neither security nor development can be fully achieved. He gave an example in which funding is available to build schools, but children are not able to travel there safely. He recommended incorporating goals on access to justice and remedy in the post-2015 development framework, including measures to provide transitional justice in the aftermath of conflict.

In the ensuing dialogue, delegates discussed: the correlation between development and justice, including the gender dimension; human rights violations that undermine civic trust; the role of development actors in investigating atrocities; and the possibility of a justice goal in the post-2015 development framework. [Statement of Special Rapporteur] [Meeting Summary] [UN Press Release]