Media Advisory
High-Level Thematic Debate on Human Rights
12-13 July 2016, UN Headquarters in New York
To reinforce the foundations needed for the enjoyment of human rights, identify how action to realize human rights can contribute to progress on peace and security and sustainable development and vice-versa, and highlight ways to strengthen the United Nations’ role and effectiveness in this area, the President of the General Assembly, H.E. Mogens Lykketoft, is organising a High-level Thematic Debate of the UN General Assembly focused on Human Rights on 12-13 July 2016.
Titled UN@70: Human Rights at the centre of the global agenda, the debate will allow UN member states to consider the means, instruments and practices available within a UN-context to tackle human rights challenges as well as the responsibilities and institutions required for the enjoyment of human rights in today’s world.
Building on a demand for a stronger focus on human rights across all aspects of society, this debate will take place as recent agendas, reviews and action plans demonstrate the ever-increasing linkages between the three pillars of the UN alongside the need to ensure that each pillar is given equal prominence.
Who:
Mogens Lykketoft, President of the United Nations General Assembly
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General
H.M. Queen Mathilde of Belgium, SDG Advocate
Agnes Leifla Ntikaampi, Executive Director, Illaramatak Community Concerns, Kenya
Choi Kyonglim, President of the Human Rights Council
Opal Tometi, Co-founder of Black Lives Matter
Ken Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch
Irene Khan, Director General, International Development Law Organization
Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, President of the International Criminal Court
Ian McDougall, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Lexis Nexis
Salil Shetty, Secretary-General of Amnesty International
Alaa Murabit, founder of Voice of Libyan Women, SDG Advocate
Christopher Deloire, Director-General of Reporters Without Borders
Plus more than 15 Ministers
See full list and programme at: http://www.un.org/pga/70/events/human-rights/
What: High-level Thematic Debate on Human Rights
When: 12 (9am – 6pm) – 13 July 2016 (10am – 6pm)
Where: Trusteeship Council Chamber, UN Headquarters, New York and live webcast through http://webtv.un.org
Hashtag: #UNHumanRights70
For UN Media Accreditation, please visit: www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/
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Media contacts
Dan Thomas, T: +1 917 225 1913 | E: daniel.thomas@un.org
Ulla Oestergaard, T +1 646 388 3080 | E: oestergaard@un.org
For more information on the meeting and programme of events, please visit website: http://www.un.org/pga/70/events/human-rights/ and follow the PGA on Twitter at @UN_PGA