UNEP OHCHR Post-2015 Note #9 on "Universality in the Post 2015 Sustainable Development Agenda"

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The UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were amongst the first international agreements to frame the notion of “universality”. Since then the term has been used in various fora and processes, for example in the context of common principles and standards, of global public goods, and in the notion of leaving no one behind. Sustainable development is a universal aspiration, requiring international cooperation and joint responsibility for a greater common good. Clarity on the meaning of universality - and what this implies with respect to differentiation - may help facilitate consensus towards the Post 2015 Agenda. In translating these concepts into practice, lessons can be drawn from many years of experience and practical application of the concept of universality in the international human rights, labour and environmental arenas.