In 2017, a group of legal and human rights experts from around the world undertook a six-year process to examine the landscape of human rights law as it applies to the human rights of future generations. They drew on over a century of legal research, international treaties, national constitutions and legislation, the knowledge of indigenous peoples from every continent, the doctrines of the major religious traditions representing the majority of the world's peoples, and consultations with members of key social movements and over 200 experts covering a wide range of legal and philosophical disciplines. The result is the Maastricht Principle on the Human Rights of Future Generations, adopted earlier in 2023 and endorsed by nearly sixty legal and human rights experts from around the world.

Despite the seriousness of the threats to the human rights of future generations, and the rapid evolution of research on the subject, the human rights of future generations have not received sufficient attention within the United Nations and other multilateral forums.
The Maastricht Principles, adopted earlier this year and endorsed by more than 50 internationally recognized and mandated legal experts, aim to consolidate and develop existing human rights norms in order to strengthen the protection and realization of the human rights of future generations. They provide a valuable guide to ensure that any action to strengthen solidarity with future generations is aligned with international human rights law.

The drafting of the Maastricht Principles was supported by a six-year process involving numerous partners from civil society, social movements and academia. This process builds on the experience of the 2011 Principles on Extraterritorial Obligations (ETO Principles), which helped to clarify how human rights bodies interpret the extraterritorial scope of States' legal obligations.

During this event, human rights experts will present the motivations, main debates and processes that led to their adoption, as well as the key themes of the principles. They will discuss with state representatives the possibilities of better protecting these human rights, including in the context of UN processes, such as the consultative procedures underway at the ICJ concerning human rights and intergenerational equity in the context of climate, or the preparation of the Future Summit to be convened by the UN Secretary-General in 2024.

In 2017, a group of legal and human rights experts from around the world undertook a six-year process to examine the landscape of human rights law as it applies to the human rights of future generations. They drew on over a century of legal research, international treaties, national constitutions and legislation, the knowledge of indigenous peoples from every continent, the doctrines of the major religious traditions representing the majority of the world's peoples, and consultations with members of key social movements and over 200 experts covering a wide range of legal and philosophical disciplines. The result is the Maastricht Principle on the Human Rights of Future Generations, adopted earlier in 2023 and endorsed by nearly sixty legal and human rights experts from around the world.

Despite the seriousness of the threats to the human rights of future generations, and the rapid evolution of research on the subject, the human rights of future generations have not received sufficient attention within the United Nations and other multilateral forums.
The Maastricht Principles, adopted earlier this year and endorsed by more than 50 internationally recognized and mandated legal experts, aim to consolidate and develop existing human rights norms in order to strengthen the protection and realization of the human rights of future generations. They provide a valuable guide to ensure that any action to strengthen solidarity with future generations is aligned with international human rights law.

The drafting of the Maastricht Principles was supported by a six-year process involving numerous partners from civil society, social movements and academia. This process builds on the experience of the 2011 Principles on Extraterritorial Obligations (ETO Principles), which helped to clarify how human rights bodies interpret the extraterritorial scope of States' legal obligations.

During this event, human rights experts will present the motivations, main debates and processes that led to their adoption, as well as the key themes of the principles. They will discuss with state representatives the possibilities of better protecting these human rights, including in the context of UN processes, such as the consultative procedures underway at the ICJ concerning human rights and intergenerational equity in the context of climate, or the preparation of the Future Summit to be convened by the UN Secretary-General in 2024.