UN GA President’s High-Level Thematic Debate On Human Rights

President of the UN General Assembly’s High-level Thematic Debate (HLTD) on Human Rights
The President of the United Nations General Assembly will convene, on July 12 to 13, 2016, a High-level Thematic Debate on Human Rights.

In light of the 50th anniversary of the international human rights covenants and the process to select and appoint the next United Nations Secretary-General, the HLTD will be an opportunity to:

1. Take an overarching view of the current human rights situation in our world today;
2. Consider the foundations for human rights and identify what actions are needed to unleash rapid improvement in the promotion and protection of human rights globally; and
3. Highlight the United Nations’ role in this area and how action to realize human rights can contribute to progress on peace and security and sustainable development.

The main areas of focus of the HLTD on Human Rights will be:

• Combatting discrimination and inequalities;
• Strengthening governance, the rule of law and access to justice; and
• Enabling active participation in society.

The event will include a discussion with Ministers, human rights defenders and global prominent voices on how to widen the space for civil society participation and safeguard the exercise of fundamental freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and the right to participate in public affairs, in order to create effective avenues for civic participation globally.

At the request of the Office of the President of the General Assembly (OPGA), the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs NGO Branch (UN-DESA/NGOB) are facilitating a process to identify two civil society speakers, and all civil society attendees for this event.