Selected statements and opinion editorials

For more statements, please see all OHCHR statements relating to the right to development in the media centre.

• Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at UNCTAD@60 - A Global Leaders Forum: Charting a new development course in a changing world, 13 June 2024, Geneva, Switzerland 
• Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the 14th Biennial Conference of The Network of African National Human Rights Institutions on implementing Africa-wide trade agreement, 18 October 2023, Geneva, Switzerland 
• Human Rights Council High Level Meeting on the 35th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, 28 February and 1 March 2023, Geneva
  • Opening Remarks:
    • Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization
    • H.E. Mr. Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan
    • Mr. Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme
    • Mr. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
    • Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group
    • Ms. Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
  • Panellists Statements:
    • Mr. Bonny Ibhawoh, Chair of the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development
    • Mr. Saad Alfarargi, Special Rapporteur on the right to development
    • Mr. Zamir Akram, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on the Right to Development
    • Ms. Li Yuefen, Senior Adviser on South-South Cooperation and Development Finance, South Centre
• The Hernan Santa Cruz Inaugural Dialogue on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, focusing on strengthening social protection in South Sudan, 20 October 2020, Khartoum University
• Secretary-General's Nelson Mandela Lecture: “Tackling the Inequality Pandemic: A New Social Contract for a New Era”, 18 July 2020, New York
• Time to boost people’s participation in Sustainable Development Goals, say UN experts, 4 December 2019, Joint statement by UN Human Rights Special Procedures
• UN experts urge more action on inequalities that threaten peace and security, development, and human rights, 4 December 2018, Joint statement by UN Human Rights Special Procedures
• Urgent need to speed up world action to realise Right to Development, 30 November 2017, Joint statement by UN Human Rights Special Procedures
• Development agenda at risk unless States honour political and financial commitments, 2 December 2016, Joint statement by UN Human Rights Special Procedures
• General Assembly High Level Segment on the 30^th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, 22 September 2016, New York
  • Statement by the President of the GA
  • Statement by the Secretary-General
  • Statement by the High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Joint Statement by the United Nations Development Group Human Rights Working Group on the occasion of the 30^th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development, 22 September 2016, New York
• Statement of the High Commissioner on the occasion of the Human Rights Council panel discussion on the promotion and protection of the right to development in commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, 15 June 2016, Geneva, Switzerland
• The 30^th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development, Message by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 14 April 2016, Geneva, Switzerland
• The African Union Side Event on the RTD Statement by Kate Gilmore, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, 1 March 2016, Geneva, Switzerland
• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and human rights, with an emphasis on the right to development, 29 February 2016, Geneva, Switzerland
• Africa and the Right to Development: Towards Post-2015 Agenda Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Human Rights Council side event, 10 March 2014, Geneva, Switzerland
• Foreword by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to OHCHR’s book Realizing the Right to Development: Essays in Commemoration of 25 Years of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development, December 2013
• Realizing a Vision for Transformative Development, 9 December 2013, New York, USA
  • OHCHR book launch, Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,
  • Author Roundtable, Opening statement by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Realizing a Vision for Transformative Development, 4 December 2013, Geneva, Switzerland
  • OHCHR’s book launch, Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
  • OHCHR’s book launch, Welcome remarks by the Acting Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva
  • Author Roundtable, Opening statement by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Human rights beyond borders: UN experts call on world governments to be guided by the Maastricht Principles, 28 September 2013
• The right to development and the prevention of torture, Views by the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 19 March 2012
• The Relevance of the Right to Development in the Context of Global Challenges, Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Panel discussion organised by the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the UN Office at Geneva, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, 6 December 2011, Geneva, Switzerland
• Secretary-General Says Twenty-fifth Anniversary of Declaration Provides Occasion for Recommitting to Making People-centred Development Reality, 2 December 2011, New York, US
• General Assembly Event to commemorate 25^th Anniversary of the Right to Development, 8 November 2011, New-York
  • Remarks by the Secretary-General
  • Statement by the High Commissioner for Human Rights
• What is the Right to Development? Presentation by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, IPU seminar in cooperation with OHCHR, 20 October 2011, Bern, Switzerland
• The OIC and NAM roundtable on the RTD, 19 October 2011, Geneva, Switzerland
  • Statement by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
  • Statement by the Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva and Personal Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the Conference on Disarmament
• The 2011 Social Forum of the Human Rights Council, Statement by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 3 October 2011, Geneva, Switzerland
• The way forward in the realization of the right to development: between policy and practice, Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights HRC panel “The way forward in the realization of the right to development: between policy and practice”, 14 September 2011, Geneva, Switzerland
• Joint statement on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development endorsed by FAO, ILO, IOM, UNAIDS, OHCHR, UNCTAD, UNICEF, UNDP, UNESCO, UNHCR, UN-HABITAT, UNOPS, UNFPA, UN Women, WFP, WHO, WIPO and WTO, 14 September 2011
• The right to development and global partnership for development, Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights ECOSOC special event on the right to development and global partnership for development, 12 July 2011, Geneva, Switzerland
• The 25th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, Joint statement by Chairpersons of the UN human rights treaty bodies, 1 July 2011
• The Importance and Relevance of the Right to Development, Statement by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 20 May 2011, Geneva, Switzerland
• No real development without human rights, Opinion editorial by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, The Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-IV) 9-13 May, 2011, Istanbul, Turkey
• 25 years of the right to development – Achievements and Challenges, Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, International Conference, 24-25 February 2011, Berlin, Germany
• UNITAR High Level Panel on Human Rights and Trade, Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 27 September 2010, Geneva, Switzerland 
• Operationalization of the right to development, Statement by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, A seminar organised by the African Union, 23 April 2010, Geneva, Switzerland