A/HRC/27/45 private actors. With regard to the process going forward, an empirical approach was a critical need and, in that context, some sort of measurable elements were necessary. That approach was not intended to rank and criticize States, but rather, as described by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to be a potential bridge between human rights and development. While the United States recognized that some delegations believed the highlevel task force was not mandated to produce indicators, operational subcriteria had been proposed by it and were referred to in Human Rights Council resolutions. The task force’s operational subcriteria included indicators. The United States was prepared to seek consensus through the incorporation of measurability into the subcriteria. With regard to substance, the focus needed to be on universal human rights, which individuals enjoyed and might demand from their own governments, including civil and political, as well as economic, social and cultural rights. International financial institutions had no human rights obligations and States had no human rights. Instead, States had human rights obligations towards their citizens. The United States emphasized the importance of focusing on factors that included non-discrimination by States, democracy, good governance and social protection policies, including such related aspects as labour organization, women’s rights, the prevention of violence against women and girls, and ways to protect, include and empower members of minority and vulnerable groups. Much development came from private sources and that fact warranted the Working Group’s consideration. 39. Speaking on behalf of OHCHR, the Chief of the Development and Economic and Social Issues Branch presented the work of the Office on the post-2015 development agenda. The Office was actively engaged in the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, and the Declaration on the Right to Development was central to OHCHR advocacy. The Working Group on the Right to Development was particularly relevant to the making of the new agenda and goals. The Millennium Development Goals left several gaps, including lack of accountability. The OHCHR approach was to integrate all human rights through research, advocacy and engagement with States, civil society and others. The High Commissioner was engaged in the process and, in an open letter to all Member States, had called for a new, universal and balanced development agenda, which upheld all human rights. She had emphasized the need to focus on equality, the right to development and the accountability of all actors. The Office gave technical support, including in a briefing paper dedicated to human rights and the right to development. OHCHR had stated that the current model of development was imbalanced and unsustainable and the global crises had exacerbated inequalities, both within and between countries. The focus on average statistics and aggregates was the main failing of the Millennium Development Goals. The new agenda must enable the measuring of outcomes and efforts, and disaggregation, and all targets and indicators must be aligned with human rights standards. 40. OHCHR had called for a new development agenda, which promoted and protected freedom from fear and want for all people without discrimination. Its central objective must be the eradication of extreme poverty. Inequalities should be a central concern, and the related but different notions of non-discrimination, equity and equality must be integrated and reflected across all the goals. Inequality must be disaggregated and dedicated targets and goals must be adopted for target groups. Attention should be paid to marginalized groups and those bearing unequal environmental burdens, such as small island developing States. The Declaration on the Right to Development placed people at the centre of development, called for an enabling environment and addressed both national and international constraints on development. Enhanced international cooperation and human rights-based policy coherence were needed to ensure that global rules and policies were consistent with human rights law. The new agenda must contain explicit provisions to remove obstacles to development, for instance in trade, investment and intellectual property systems, which undermined human rights. Meaningful reforms at the international level and 10