Doing Justice to Sustainable Development

The flurry of debates on the post-2015 development agenda has made one thing clear: in order to address the challenges confronting the international community, a truly transformative approach is required, one that places inclusivity, equity and justice at the center of a global pursuit for sustainable development. The rule of law is key to realizing equitable growth, inclusive social development and environmental sustainability. It must play a central part in this transformative agenda. The space for a genuine dialogue on human rights and democratic governance is opening up and, along with it, a grassroots, “bottom up” demand for justice and the rule of law. The challenge is enormous: it will require a cast-iron commitment to make the right investments in the post-2015 agenda, including concerted action to enhance legal frameworks, build institutional capacity and provide for legal empowerment of the poor. The objective of this report is to explore the linkages between the rule of law and sustainable development and demonstrate, through concrete examples, why the rule of law is essential to the post-2015 agenda.