Consideration of the report of the Working Group on the right to development - 26 June Afternoon

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ORDER OF THE DAY 

[GENEVA, 26 June 2006] - At 16:45, the Council ended its discussion on the Durban agreement and started the last discussion of the day on the right to development. Ambassador Ibrahim Salama (Egypt) took the floor and presented the report of the Working Group on the Right to Development (E/CN.4/2006/26).

The open-ended Working Group on the Right to Development was established by Commission on Human Rights resolution 1998/72. Its mandate was recently renewed for a year by resolution 2005/4. The Working Group is supported in its work by the high level task force, that provides support and expertise to the Working Group, to enable it to make appropriate recommendations to relevant actors. 

The Working Group monitors and reviews progress made in the promotion and implementation of the right to development, reviews reports and other information submitted by States and NGOs, and submits sessional reports to the Human Righyts Council (formerly the Commission).

At its seventh session, on 9-13 January 2006, the Working Group considered the report of the high level task force on the implementation of the right to development,  taking place on 14-18 November 2005, and further initiatives in accordance with its mandate. The Working Group made the following recommendations in the 7th session report:

  • the Working Group recommended that criteria be applied to the periodic evaluation of global partnerships as identified in MDG Goal 8 from the perspective of the right to development (including an emphasis on rights-based approaches to development and a focus on the concerns and needs of the most vulnerable and marginalised segments of the population). 
  • the Working Group encouraged States to strengthen national parliamentary  mechanisms and legislative bodies, as well as civil society organisations and national human rights institutions, in order to play a more prominent role in the evaluation of Goal 8 from the perspective of the right to development, drawing, as appropriate, on the criteria listed above.
  • the Working Group proposed that all Millennium Development Goals country reports include information on Goal 8 from the perspective of the right to development, drawing on the criteria suggested above.
  • the Working Group recommended that the support by UN development-related agencies, funds and programmes to national development strategies to achieve MDGs, within their respective mandates and in the context of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, give equal attention to Goal 8 from a right to development perspective, particularly in the preparation of MDG country reports.
  • the Working Group recommended that the Council renew the mandate of the Working Group and the High Level task force for a further year to enable it to apply the criteria above on a pilot basis, to selected partnerships, with a view to operationalising these criteria, and thus contributing to mainstreaming the right to development in the policies and operational activities of relevant actors at the national, regional and international levels, including multilateral financial, trade and development institutions.

Discussion

Subsequently, several government delegations took the floor, including: Malaysia, China (non-aligned movement - NAM), Cuba, Austria (EU), Indonesia, Morocco, Brazil, Zambia, South Africa, Russia, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Pakistan (Organisation of Islamic Conferences - OIC), Algeria, Senegal, Poland, US, Thailand, Luxembourg. Most delegations stressed the need for effective global partnership in promoting the rights to development and MDG goal 8 and supported the extension of the mandate of the Working Group.

The meeting was adjourned at 18:00. Further statements on the report of the Working Group and Mr Salama's response will be made tomorrow morning.

Further information

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