On 26 June 2023, OHCHR-NYO organized, in the context of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a Roundtable, “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 75: Looking to Future Generations”. The event had the purpose of:

• highlighting the key importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to frame new challenges and frontier issues and to form the basis of solutions to future challenges, including the human rights of future generations;
• taking stock of recent developments on the human rights of future generations, identify key messages and underline the value of adopting a human rights perspective in the proposals on future generations and intergenerational equity; and
• contributing to the intergovernmental process of elaboration of the proposed Declaration for Future Generations from a human rights perspective

Speakers included representatives from UN agencies (UNESCO, UNEP, UNICEF, DESA), civil society organizations and a member of the OHCHR Youth advisory board, and was closed by the Dutch Permanent representative.

The panel discussed, among other issues, the contribution of UN agencies to the issue of duties towards future generations (including the 1997 UNESCO Declaration and the recent UN System Common Principles on Future Generations), human rights approaches to future generations under the existing international human rights framework, and specific challenges for future generations from the perspective of ageing, participation of youth, international environmental and climate change law and public health emergencies. Some of the topics addressed by the speakers included the definition of future generations, examples of relevant human rights, the representation of future generations in decision-making and legal proceedings, the necessary complementarity of individual and collective approaches, the need to take into account differential impacts and the perspective of different groups, and the practical implications of preparedness and mitigation of environmental, public health and other risks.

Webcast

Documentation

Concept note/agenda

OHCHR statement

United Nations System Common Principles on Future Generations

UNESCO Declaration on the Responsibilities of the Present Generations Towards Future Generations

Maastricht Principles on the Human Rights of Future Generations

Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights & Public Health Emergencies

Photos