A/HRC/31/81 existed due to root and structural causes. Those conclusions had led to the development of the Millennium Development Goals and placed the United Nations at the centre of the discussions on those topics. The drawback of the process, however, had been its sectoral approach, which had obscured the broader picture. As a result, inequality had grown enormously, while full employment and gender equality had not been realized. Although the globalization process had been supposed to help realize the set objectives, it had actually hindered them. 20. Mr. Somavía also warned that a similar mistake could be made with the post-2015 development agenda and the sustainable development goals, as no country or region exhibited global policy leadership. He emphasized the need to be conscious that, in many societies, the distance between the system and citizens had grown. In the light thereof and in order to advance on global development issues, different growth paths needed to be defined. If the global economy continued to be defined by financial reasoning without taking a human rights-based approach into account, the development paradigm would not shift. 21. The Director of the Strategic Partnerships Division of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), Kristin Hetle, noted that much had been achieved in the field of women’s rights. Nonetheless, progress had been unacceptably slow and women’s rights continued to be under threat. In order to advance, universal ratification and full implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women should be ensured; urgent actions had to be taken to remove discriminatory laws against women; investments in gender equality and women’s rights had to increase and laws and policies had to be supported with adequate resources; accountability mechanisms should be strengthened to ensure women were empowered to claim their rights; inequalities had to be addressed; and marginalized women had to be reached through the collection of accurately disaggregated data. The gap between laws and policies and women’s practical enjoyment of their rights had to be closed. 22. Ms. Hetle was also of the view that gender equality, the empowerment of women and the human rights of women and girls should be a central priority of the post-2015 development agenda. In order to be truly transformative, the post-2015 development agenda had to change the unequal distribution of power and take into account those elements that perpetuated gender inequalities, poverty, vulnerability and environmental degradation. Such change required working on alternative approaches emphasizing equality, human rights and economic, social and environmental sustainability, as well as international cooperation. 23. The Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, Alexey Borodavkin, indicated that globalization, an increased level of interdependence and the growing potential for conflicts had an impact on international cooperation. Extremism and terrorism were impeding the enhancement of international cooperation. The need to fight against extreme forces of violence and terrorism therefore had to be prioritized in promoting human rights. Double standards, subjectivity, false accusations against Governments and politicization within the United Nations limited the possibilities for developing cooperation and had a negative effect on combating terrorism. The activities of the Human Rights Council in relation to the fight against terrorism also required a readjustment of its approach. That approach should be based on a broad scale of cooperation, inter alia, through the organization of seminars and training programmes to share best practices. Dialogue and respect for cultural diversity and different civilizations had to be reinforced. He also highlighted the importance of cooperation and technical assistance. The universal periodic review was the best mechanism to promote and enhance such cooperation and dialogue. 24. The professor of Political Science at the Complutense University of Madrid, Juan Carlos Monedero Fernández-Gala addressed the issue of political selectivity in the 6