The third session of the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development took place virtually from Tuesday, 30 March to Thursday, 1 April 2021, 11am to 1pm and 3pm to 5pm, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT/New York time).

At this session, the Expert Mechanism considered the following:

• Organizational matters
• General debate
• The mandate and programme of work
• Thematic studies
• Recommendations to the HRC
• Adoption of thematic studies and of the annual report

The meeting of the Expert Mechanism was divided into public and private segments (please refer to the programme of work). Participation was only possible in the public meetings. Remote simultaneous interpretation was made available during the public meetings.

Delegates and other stakeholders wishing to participate in this meeting were requested to register via this link. The registration remained open until 6pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT/New York time), Monday, 29 March 2021. A link to join the virtual meeting was subsequently sent to those who registered through the system. Participants were required to note that the link was unique to each registered participant and could not be shared. The link was sent few hours before the start of the meeting.

States, United Nations mechanisms, bodies and specialized agencies, funds and programmes, intergovernmental organizations, regional organizations and mechanisms in the field of human rights, national human rights institutions and other relevant national bodies, academics and experts on development issues, and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council were allowed to ask for the floor (by pressing the “raise hand” button) and intervene, in that order.

States, NGOs and other stakeholders were kindly requested to coordinate among themselves so that only one person would take the floor per delegation.

For further enquiries, messages were to be sent to r2d@ohchr.org.

Documentation

• Provisional agenda
• Draft programme of work
• Realization of the right to development in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals - Thematic study by the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development (A/HRC/EMRTD/3/CRP.1)
• Racism, racial discrimination and the right to development - Synopsis of the ongoing study of the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development (A/HRC/EMRTD/3/CRP.2)

Statements

• Opening remarks by the Director of the OHCHR New York Office
• Opening statement by the Chair of the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development

Videos

• First meeting, 11h - 13h, 30 March 2021 (items 1, 2, 3 and 4)
• Second meeting, 15h - 17h, 30 March 2021 (item 5)
• Third meeting, 11h to 13h, 31 March from (item 5 (cont’d) and item 6)
• Fourth meeting 11h to 13h, 1 April from (item 7)