10 June 2014: The President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), John Ashe, hosted a High-level Event on the Post-2015 Development Agenda addressing the contributions of human rights and the rule of law. Participants emphasized the role of human rights and the rule of law in ending extreme poverty, balancing the needs of people and planet, reducing the vulnerability of the poor, closing social and economic gaps and building the future we want. Member States highlighted the relevance of these issues from their national experience, and emphasized national ownership and adaptation to local context as critical in promoting rule of law at the national level.

The two-day event took place from 9-10 June 2014, at UN Headquarters in New York, US, and was the sixth and last in a series of events aimed at “setting the stage” for the post-2015 development agenda.

In opening remarks, Ashe asked participants to consider how to “operationalize our commitment to human rights and the rule of law in a manner that supports poverty eradication and sustainable development.” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a “transformative post-2015 agenda for sustainable development,” and said that human rights depend on rule of law. He added that rule of law, at national and international levels, is “both a development outcome in its own right and an enabler of other outcomes.”

Panel discussions considered how the integration of human rights and the rule of law in the post-2015 agenda can contribute to improving development outcomes, poverty eradication and sustainable development. In closing remarks, Ashe recalled participants’ views that “there is no need for a dedicated goal on human rights” while different perspectives exist “on whether the rule of law should be included as a standalone goal or should be mainstreamed across all other goals.” He highlighted possible targets related to human rights and the rule of law, inter alia: clear legal frameworks and effective, transparent institutions; access to independent justice; sustainable management of natural resources and equal property and land rights; legal identity; elimination of discriminatory laws; and combatting corruption and illicit financial flows.

Ashe informed participants that he will convene a stock-taking exercise to pull together events on the post-2015 agenda, on 8-9 September 2014. [UNGA President’s Website on Post-2015 Agenda and Related Events] [UNGA President’s Opening Remarks] [UN Secretary-General Remarks] [Deputy Secretary-General Remarks] [UNGA President’s Closing Remarks] [UN Radio Programme] [Event Programme] [IISD RS Story on Background Note] [Official Summary]