14 January 2014: The Office of the President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) has released a concept note on ‘Contributions of Human Rights and the Rule of Law in the post-2015 Development Agenda,’ ahead of a high-level event on this topic.

The note outlines consensually-agreed political outcomes on the interrelationship among human rights, the rule of law, sustainable development and poverty eradication, emphasizing the contribution of human rights and the rule of law to an inclusive, people-centered development agenda.

The high-level event will be part of a series of three high-level events and three thematic debates that UNGA President John Ashe will host to encourage consensus building and concrete action on implementation of the post-2015 development agenda.

This high-level event will convene from 17-18 June 2014, and will discuss experiences and lessons learned on human rights and the rule of law, including from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), with the aim of identifying gaps and challenges to be addressed in the post-2015 agenda. The event also aims to identify capacities and resources needed to enable a universal approach promoting freedom from fear and want.

The concept note includes a background section, debate objectives and information on the format, expected outcome and participants in the debate. The President will issue a summary at the conclusion of the debate that will be shared with the UNGA’s Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing (ICSDF).

President Ashe chose ‘The Post-215 Development Agenda: Setting the Stage!’ as the theme for the 68th Session of the UNGA. [UNGA President’s Website on Post-2015 Agenda and Related Events] [Publication: High Level Event of the General Assembly: Contributions of Human Rights and the Rule of Law in the post-2015 Development Agenda]