International Development Law Organization

In Focus | Photography Exhibition

In Focus: Justice and the Post-2015 Agenda

IDLO and Majority World are pleased to invite you to an international photography exhibition about justice, the rule of law and sustainable development.

Sustainability has emerged from the historic UN summit that has launched the 2030 Development Agenda as a new universal value – a value that applies equally to both the developed and the developing world.

By putting equity and justice at the heart of the 2030 Agenda, the international community has sought to ensure that development progress would not be ephemeral.

It has realized that the rule of law – intended as the basic principle on which fairness and justice are founded – is the bedrock of development. IDLO and Majority World have partnered on a photography exhibition that explores the human side of the rule of law and its importance in everyday life.

The law is a key instrument to advance progress across all the Sustainable Development Goals enshrined in the 2030 Agenda. But the rule of law is neither all about rules, nor all about the law. It is about embedding human rights, social inclusion, and equal opportunity in every aspect of governance; about equal access to justice for all; about creating institutions that are not only strong, but responsive and accountable; and about the sustainable and equitable use of resources.

That is why the photographers featured here have chosen not to shoot the spectacle of courtrooms or trials. From gender equality and indigenous rights to energy poverty and land tenure, In Focus: Justice and the Post-2015 Agenda presents the rule of law as a lived experience. Here, justice is the filter through which we gauge the scope and nature of development.

The exhibition was launched at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, to coincide with the high level segment of the 28th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. "If there is no rule of law," Dutch Ambassador for Human Rights Kees van Baar said at the vernissage, "violations and impunity are encouraged, and we move further and further away from upholding human rights."

Since then, it has successfully toured Italy with showings in both Rome and Milan, with the next showing in New York on Oct 12 - 16. Following New York will be The Hague, and other locations. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.