Submitted by crinadmin on
[GENEVA, 27 June 2006] - The 15th meeting of the Human Rights Council opened this morning by resuming discussions on agenda item 4 of the agenda (the Implementation of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006) and continuing its consideration of the report of the Working Group on the Right to Development. The last statement was made by the delegation of the Philippines who urged the Council to consider favourably the recommendations contained in the Working Group's report. The floor was then given to NGOs (Centre Europe - Tiers Monde, Franciscans International and Indian Movement Tupaj Amaru) and national institutions (National Human Rights Commission of India). Most statements expressed support for the chairman's report and called for the Council to extend the mandate of the Working Group and the Task Force for another year, stressing the importance of effective global partnership and a rights-based aproach in promoting the rights to development and MDG goal 8. Mr Salama, chairperson of the Working Group, took the floor to comment on the statements made. He stressed that the work of the Working Group represented a unique forum in that it allowed the human rights and the trade and financial communities to come together in an organic manner. Debates within the Task Force allow mutual interaction between the two communities at an international level. This, according to him, reveals a paradigm shift in the language used within the UN in an era of globalisation. Mr Salama added that 7th session of the Working Group showed that evaluating partnerships for development is becoming a concrete process. With the MDGs, it also shows a clear possibility for mainstreaming human rights work in several UN agencies (see paragraph 75 of the report) as well as a real possibility to work within the international financial institutions to start making a difference. For Mr Salama, the 7th meeting of the Working Group demonstrated the new operationability of the right to development, after a long period of doubt. It is now entering an era of implementation. Moreover, he stressed that, as shown by the 15th criteria of the recommendations adopted in the 7th session report, we are now in the process of creating an overall environment that will "contributes to a development process that is sustainable and equitable, with a view to ensuring continually increasing opportunities for all". It is a sustainable and long term project now solidly installed in global partnership. Finally, Mr Salama stressed that it took the Group some time to define how the right to development was different from other right and to decide how to promote it, but it is now done and the adequate alliances have been made with international organisations. The Working Group now has the correct methodology and benefits from the high quality adisory input of the Task Force. This statement closed the consideration of this agenda item. The Council then moveed on to the consideration of the report of the open-ended Working Group established with a view to considering options regarding the elaboration of an optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.