Forum Post: UN: High-level Meeting on the Rule of Law, 24 September 2012

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The High-level Meeting of the 67th Session of the General Assembly on the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 24 September 2012. This is a unique occasion for all Member States, non-governmental organisations and civil society represented at the highest level, to discuss and agree a forward looking agenda on strengthening the rule of law.

Modalities of the High-level Meeting

The General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/66/102 decided that the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the rule of law will be held on 24 September 2012 in New York and that the High-level Meeting will address the topic of the rule of law at the national and international levels.

Resolution A/RES/66/102 further states that the organisational arrangements of the High-level Meeting should be as follows:

The High-level Meeting will be held as a one-day plenary meeting on Monday, 24 September 2012;

The President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General, the President of the International Court of Justice, the President of the Security Council, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Chair of the International Law Commission, Member States and Observers, as well as a limited number of representatives of non-governmental organisations active in the field of rule of law will be invited to speak at the plenary;

The President of the General Assembly shall draw up a list of representatives of non-governmental organisations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council who will participate in the High-level Meeting;

The President of the General Assembly shall draw up a list of representatives of civil society organisations, including non-governmental organisations active in the field of rule of law and, taking into account the principle of equitable geographical representation, to submit the list to Member States for consideration on a no-objection basis, for participation in the High-level Meeting;

The General Assembly resolution A/RES/66/102 also decided that the High-level Meeting will result in a concise outcome document. It requested that the President of the General Assembly would, in consultation with Member States, finalise the organisational arrangements of the meeting.

The Secretary-General proposes a programme of action

A report of the Secretary-General A/66/749 in preparation of the High-level Meeting was submitted to the General Assembly in March 2012, as requested in the resolution A/RES/66/102. In order to galvanize collective efforts to strengthen the rule of law at the national and international levels, the Secretary-General proposes in his report that the General Assembly adopt a programme of action for the rule of law, agree to a process to develop clear rule of law goals and adopt other key mechanisms to enhance dialogue on the rule of law. The Secretary-General also encourages Member States to take the occasion of the High-level Meeting to make individual pledges related to the rule of law.

Participation in the High-level Meeting

The President of the General Assembly is compiling a list of non-governmental organisations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, as well as a list of civil society organisations, active in the field of the rule of law, who wish to participate in the High-level Meeting. In addition, a limited number of representatives of non-governmental organisations active in the field of rule of law will be invited to speak.