Human rights in follow-up and review of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development

With this paper the Danish Institute for Human Rights argues that incorporating human rights principles and mechanisms into the Follow-up and Review to the 2030 Agenda will be crucial to realise the Goals and the commitment to ‘leave no one behind’. Further, it will increase coherence and efficiency across the Agenda.

The paper gives an overview over the institutional arrangements and ideas that have emerged since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in September, and combines this with the extensive experience and lessons learned from human rights monitoring.

The paper is structured in five thematic sections that can be read independently, according to interests:

1. The purpose and the guiding principles of the follow-up and review mechanism of the 2030 Agenda
2. The three-levelled architecture of the follow-up and review mechanisms at the national, regional and global levels
3. The contribution and role of human rights monitoring mechanisms in the follow-up and review
4. The opportunities and limitations related to indicators and the collection of disaggregated data
5. The potential private sector contribution to follow-up and review

We hope the paper can inspire other National Human Rights Institutions, governments, rights holders, civil society and private sector to take a human rigths-based approach to Follow-up and Review of the 2030 Agenda.