COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS CONTINUES
DEBATE ON DEVELOPMENT
30 March 1999
NIGHT
HR/CN/99/15
30 March 1999
Greater Official Assistance, Further Debt Relief Urged
A series of developing countries speaking before the Commission on Human Rights this evening urged increases in official development aid, more extensive relief for debt-burdened nations, and stronger emphasis on development issues by the international community.
In a session lasting until midnight, nation after nation said that progress for the global economy had not translated to progress for non-industrialized countries, most of which were being increasingly marginalized. They said that while national Governments were certainly responsible for their countries' economic performances, the gap between haves and have-nots was now so wide that it could not be reduced without substantial help from richer nations and from international efforts to redistribute the benefits of global economic expansion.
Globalization was said to hold out the promise of prosperity, said a representative of Bangladesh, yet it appeared to be contributing to a new process of uneven development and increased inequality both among and within nations. Effective international solidarity and co-operation was crucial for supplementing national development efforts, he said.
A delegate of Mexico remarked that the economic and social progress necessary for development, and the efforts of many countries, had been hampered by the international economic situation, and there was an urgent need to address problems such as financial need, the external debt, low and unstable prices of commodities, and the expenditure of huge amounts of money on the arms race.
Among developed countries addressing the session was the United States, which contended that the focus on development should be on how to enable each child to reach his full human potential. The answer, the United States representative said, lay in providing the full range of human rights to all citizens.
Addressing the meeting were representatives of Bangladesh, Russian Federation, Mexico, United States, Chile, Senegal, Qatar, Indonesia, Sudan, Venezuela, El Salvador, Tunisia, Egypt, UNICEF, Malaysia, Côte d’Ivoire, Australia, Myanmar, Belarus, Iran, Switzerland, Algeria, Yemen, and Nicaragua.
The following non-governmental organizations also spoke: Pax Romana; Movement against Racism and for Friendship among Peoples, and Centre Europe - Tiers Monde (joint statement); American Association of Jurists; Himalayan Research and Cultural Foundation; and Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization.
The Commission will reconvene at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 31 March. It is expected to conclude its discussion of the right to development and then move on to its agenda item on the question of the violation of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine.
Statements
ISMAT JAHAN (Bangladesh) said that the Preamble to the UN Charter identified development as one of the fundamental purposes of the UN. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights also defined social justice and freedom from want as matters of right. In recognizing the human rights dimension of development priorities, it became possible to establish that full realization of the right to development required achieving the right balance of all human rights. It was important to act in concert to achieve development priorities.
The existence of widespread extreme poverty inhibited the full and effective enjoyment of human rights. Globalization was said to hold out the promise of prosperity, yet it was noted that it also brought challenges for the developing countries. Concerns were raised that it contributed to a new process of uneven development and increased inequality both among and within nations. Bangladesh supported early initiation of dialogue towards elaboration of a Convention on the Right to Development, and welcomed the pronouncement of the High Commissioner for Human Rights that promotion and implementation of the right to development was one of the highest priorities of her office.
SERGUEI TCHOUMAREV (Russian Federation) stated that economic growth could not be separated from other human rights and it was essential to recognize that the right to development was an integral factor in the eradication of human rights abuses. It was a factor in ensuring peace and stability and needed to cover all aspects of all areas of human development including political, social, cultural and spiritual aspects. Development must be considered a major consideration in the north/south debate.
It was hoped that the Commission would involve financial institutions and international organizations further in the area of economic development. The international community should focus on a legal framework to help member nations in their efforts to ensure the right to development.
ARTURO HERNANDEZ-BASAVE (Mexico) said that the economic and social progress necessary for development, and the efforts of many countries, had been hampered by the international economic situation. Many inhabitants of the globe were living under the poverty line. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights established that States had the right and the duty to formulate policies that were effective against obstacles to development.
There was an urgent need to address problems such as financial need, the external debt, low and unstable prices of commodities, and the expenditure of millions on the arms race. There had to be an end to the use of human rights as an instrument for trade protectionism. The High Commissioner for Human Rights was called upon to encourage the main actors in the global economy to incorporate and support the right to development in their economic policies. Note was taken of the High Commissioner's report, and support was expressed for it.
NANCY RUBIN (United States) said the focus on development should be on how States achieved the realization of the right of each child to reach his full human potential, and the answer lay in providing the full range of human rights to every citizen. The US strongly supported the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. In nations which limited the freedom of their citizens, national ability to respond to people's needs, to develop commercial opportunities and to create new jobs was limited.
The United States agreed with the International Labour Office Director-General, Juan Somavia, who said that "employment is the first step out of poverty and that it is at the core of economic development and social stability." Grants were being made by the United States to help developing countries to reach their potential and ensure their right to development and a "blueprint" was being developed for a US-African Partnership in the coming century. Further innovative approaches to debt reduction had been proposed and were being developed which channelled resources away from debt service towards education and environmental protection along the lines of financial instruments used in "debt-for-nature" swaps. True and sustainable development could not occur in a climate where human freedom was repressed or sound economics were disregarded.
ALFREDO LABBE (Chile) said the country attributed great importance to achieving a resolution on the right to development by consensus. The right to development was among the most basic of human rights, but there was a hierarchical order to human rights, as in domestic legislation. The right to development was originally conceived of as a right to economic development,but it could also be understood to mean the right to development as a person. It was thus impossible without the proper exercise of civil rights.
Chile opposed the integration of the concept in the Charter of Human Rights since it was a developing legal concept that required serious study before it was adopted. The worst thing that could happen to it would be for it to be perceived merely as a political issue, and therefore be rejected for political reasons. Chile believed that under the right to development, each State had a duty to set up effective policies leading to effective development.
IBOU NDIAYE (Senegal) stated that the right to reach one's full potential and well-being was a fundamental human right. Senegal cited an urgent need to establish better comprehension of the responsibilities of each player on the international scene. The study undertaken by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) commissioned by the High Commissioner for Human Rights must be taken into account by the Commission and the six priorities outlined by the UNIDO report of 1997 must be seriously studied and applied. The right to development concerned all aspects of international economic relations; that was why it seemed to Senegal that more and more it was of primary concern to the Commission, the human-rights treaty bodies, and the specialized UN organizations. It was vital that under no circumstances should economic, social and cultural rights be thought of as less important than civil and political rights.
ALTHANIS KHALID (Qatar) expressed the country's great interest in the concept of the right to development, and approved of the desire of certain States to achieve development. The Declaration at the Vienna Conference stated that the right to development was a fundamental one, and a right of all mankind. The global preparation for a proper environment for all human rights was called for, but it was noted that the right to development could only be achieved by the obtaining of all human rights.
There was a widening gap between the countries of the North and those of the South, and countries with excessive debt should be given the opportunity to escape from this negative impact on their economies. The development of all social classes, and the implementation of the Convention and the Declaration, with its emphasis on the right to development, were called for.
HARRY PURWANTO (Indonesia) said progress towards the implementation of the right to development required effective development policies at the national level as well as equitable economic relations and a favourable economic environment at the international level. The right to development made the human person the central subject of development and called on the principle of popular participation and democracy. The promotion and protection of human rights and development were mutually reinforcing, and a holistic approach was needed.
Indonesia called for concerted action at the national and international levels to mitigate the unfortunate effects of globalization and to ensure the creation of a conducive economic climate for the realization of the right to development. There should be a more open development-oriented and non-discriminatory system of economic relations which would ensure broader and stronger participation of the developing countries in the international economic decision-making process. Finally there should be stronger coordination and cooperation throughout the United Nations system to more effectively promote and realize the right to development.
ALI ABDEL RAHMAN MAHMOUD (Sudan) said the country attached great importance to the right to development as a universal and inalienable right. There had been slow progress in two areas of paramount concern to developing countries, namely the right to development and the eradication of poverty; this slow progress was a grave concern. The negative implications of globalization had to be dealt with, as possibly they would lead to further marginalization and exclusion of the world's poorest nations. So far, globalization had failed to accelerate the development of developing countries, and had also failed to halt increasing poverty. The international community was called upon to engage in a serious dialogue to study the underlying dangers; a collective endeavour was needed towards the realization of decent levels of economic and social development for all.
It was noted that some major players on the international economic scene resorted to such destructive measures as trade and economic embargoes against developing countries. Sudan blamed coercive unilateral measures based on flimsy and unsubstantiated pretexts for the negative state of the Sudanese economy and re-affirmed the willingness and resolve of the Sudanese Government to better the lives of its people.
VICTOR RODRIGUEZ CEDENO (Venezuela) said the right to development was one of the most important for the country. The right to development was a subjective collective right whose definition was complex and had to be adapted to circumstances and in accordance with legal changes and international economic conditions. Development was not only economic but rather a concept which contained diverse elements closely connected with social, cultural and political factors.
Venezuela called for continued international measures towards the achievement of the United Nations Charter to promote social progress and improved living conditions, all the while keeping the central focus on the human being. Venezuela would adopt a national project for development and sought a place in the Working Group dealing with the right to development.
CARLOS GARCIA (El Salvador) commended the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and was eager to know the results of the investigations and recommendations of the Independent Expert. Great importance was attached to the right to development as one that was vital to all human rights, since it guaranteed a better quality of life for all. It was an inalienable and fundamental element of basic human rights. It was a right of each individual to have the necessary tools for development.
Efforts by the international community should be redoubled, with more alliances on all possible levels. The process of globalization involved great opportunities for developing countries, but there was also an increasing gap between developed and developing nations due to the advance of technology and the capacity of the developed countries who had great human resources that could be used by all of the international community. It was recognized that this topic covered different countries and regions; therefore a mechanism for dialogue would be a minimum guarantee that all countries could express their views.
KAMEL MORJANE (Tunisia) said the delegation hoped the Working Group would be effective and successful and welcomed the appointment of the Independent Expert. The right to development was still an idea that Tunisia was aiming towards. Tunisia found the growing gulf as published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) between the North and South and the wealthy and the impoverished hard to accept. This growing gap could negate the dream of the right to development, of all human rights, and even of the right to life.
Tunisia called on the international community to address this crisis through international cooperation and through sustainable development, which Tunisia had adopted. Tunisia underscored the right to peace as the most important factor to be addressed and guarded, without which other rights could not be achieved.
MOUNIR ZAHRAN (Egypt) noted that the right to development was an inalienable right of every human being, and that all peoples had a right to participate in economic development. There was a need for cooperation between countries with a view to promoting development.
The problems faced by developing countries due to increasing globalization, especially in regard to their progress and development, were pronounced, and it was hoped that Resolution 1998/112 could restore balance in this respect. The international community and the Commission were asked to find remedies to this situation which, if left unaddressed, would lead to the marginalization of developing countries. The right to development had to be respected.
MARTA SANTOS PAIS, of UNICEF, said the right to development as it applied to children's rights was enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child; it was considered profoundly important. The mandate of UNICEF in this area was well-established and a number of areas had been identified as relevant to the right to development from the perspective of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Implementation of the Convention in development activities was critical and should be envisaged as a central concern for this agenda item and in particular for the work of the Independent Expert and the open-ended Working Group.
UNICEF was concerned with the effects of the current economic crisis, deteriorating social conditions and increasing social exclusion; these problems required an increasing commitment to human rights which began with children's rights as an essential component of all development efforts.
ZAINAL R. NUSHIRWAN (Malaysia) said there was a sense of déja-vu whenever the Commission addressed the issue of the right to development. An appeal for a consensus on the relevant resolution was addressed to all countries. It was agreed that economic success could not be assured unless all human rights, including economic, social and cultural rights, were observed and guaranteed.
However, the key lesson was that there ought to be limits to economic action perpetrated by unaccountable agents. Attempts to redefine the right to development were viewed with concern by Malaysia.
CLAUDE BOVAH-KAMON (Côte d’Ivoire) said the responsibility of States in realizing the right to development required international cooperation; it could not be done by developing countries on their own; such countries had to walk hand-in-hand with the developed countries towards the achievement of this fundamental right.
Each State had a further heavy load to carry in the achievement of the obligation to provide the right to development within its borders. One of the heaviest loads for many countries, and especially countries in Africa, was foreign debt. The initiatives proposed by Germany and France along with numerous other countries and NGOs was welcomed in terms of cancelling the debt of the most heavily burdened and most impoverished countries. Such a move was critical to making progress.
ANDREW GOLEDZINOWSKI (Australia) said the country was a traditional supporter of the right to development. A few simple principles should be expressed in relation to activities for promoting the right: all human rights were indivisible, inalienable, and inter-related; the individual was the focus for human rights, and should be as well for development; States had a responsibility to provide the national and international conditions for development; and the best conditions were achieved if all States behaved in a transparent and equitable manner.
It was apparent to Australia that the consensus arrived at last year indicated that the international community was in agreement on the importance of the right to development, but nothing really had happened since. Three objectives were called for: a return to a consensus text; the creation of a positive atmosphere; and a commitment to transparent, open and conclusive approach to the work in hand.
U LINN MYAING (Myanmar) underscored the growing gap between the developed and developing countries and cited greater levels of Official Development Assistance (ODA) as a way of rectifying the imbalance, along with transfer of technology and other financial and technical assistance. There was need for the developed, resource-rich countries to direct their efforts towards providing further help to States in need, and to do so in a spirit of goodwill and free of conditions.
Myanmar endorsed the call made upon the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner, in the Resolution on the Right to Development adopted by the General Assembly at its 53rd session, to undertake a dialogue with the World Bank with regard to the right to development. Myanmar had taken measures to ensure progress in providing the right to development to its citizens, including liberalizing domestic and external trade policies, and instituting changes in the role of the private sector, pricing systems and labour markets. Myanmar reiterated its full commitment to the implementation of the right to development despite limited financial resources.
STANISLAU AGURTSOV (Belarus) said the country paid much attention to the implementation of the concept of development; it was considered as part of a comprehensive economic, social, cultural and political process directed at constant improvement of the well-being of the whole person and of each person.
Indicators of development helped to judge objectively the efforts of all countries in the field of implementation, promotion and protection of human rights. Belarus hoped that development assistance could help countries in transition to overcome difficulties, to lose nothing of what they had achieved, and to enable them to move towards sustainable development, the observance of human rights, and respect for fundamental freedoms.
FARHAD MAMDOUHI (Iran) noted that the already wide economic gap between developed and developing countries was increasingly leading to the former's marginalization. Lack of structural equilibrium in the international economic system and the absence of an enabling economic environment had hampered the enjoyment by the developing countries of a wide range of human rights, including the right to development.
It was important that the right to development be seen as a right equal to any other human right, and the UN had an important role to play in its promotion. The establishment of an open-ended Working Group for evaluation of progress made in the promotion and implementation of the right to development had Iran's full support.
CHRISTOPH PAPPA (Switzerland) said the right to development had become an important and also controversial subject; only recently had it been established as an integral part of fundamental human rights. International human rights instruments, if implemented, made a substantial contribution to the right to development. Conversely, the state of a country's development was generally a good indicator of a country's overall respect for human rights. Lack of development, it bore repeating, could not be invoked as an excuse for lack of respect for other basic human rights.
Some questions remained, such as whether it was possible to find a good balance between the collective and individual aspects of this right. Whatever else was said, it should be remembered that the human being should be the focus of attempts at development.
SAID KHELIFI (Algeria) noted that the topic of the right to development was most relevant to the situation of extreme poverty in which a large part of the world's population lived. A reaffirmation of the equality and interdependence of all human rights was necessary, and it was worth noting that the situation in the developing countries compromised the full enjoyment of all human rights. The current trend towards globalization imposed a need for solidarity and cooperation between all countries
Achieving the right to development required effective national policies as well as equitable economic relations and a favourable economic environment. International solidarity was essential for making meaningful progress.
MOHAMED SAEED AL-ATTAR (Yemen) said the country applauded the efforts and achievements made by the Commission on Human Rights. The most fundamental rights could not be achieved unless national and international rights were respected and enforced. Yemen had made great effort to develop a free economy and to encourage investment in the private sector in its ambition to aid social and cultural development. The programmes under way placed emphasis on policies to strengthen democratic rights. Despite these efforts, local infrastructure weaknesses had created obstacles to achieving the right to development. Yemen further had felt the effects of globalization on trade and international commerce.
Yemen appealed to the international community to take on its responsibilities to ensure an international environment which encouraged development among the world's less-advantaged countries. There should be greater international cooperation to help developing countries enjoy greater benefits of globalization.
CECILIA SANCHEZ REYES (Nicaragua) noted that it had been recognized by the Commission that the basis of all human rights was human dignity. But human dignity could not be protected when so many of the world's people suffered from extreme poverty. The right to development was one of their fundamental human rights. Only sustainable development could ensure that they would have full enjoyment of those and all the rest of their human rights.
Nicaragua placed the human being at the centre of economic development, and called for respect for ethnic diversity, as well as for the peaceful co-existence of all citizens. Progress on this issue depended not only on national but on international effort, aid, and support; the Nicaraguan democracy was new and its economy, while progressing hopefully, was fragile.
BRENDA MOFYA, of Pax Romana, said that Governments of highly indebted countries were finding it difficult to service their debts and make necessary investments in health and education; as long as the issue of debt was not resolved, these economies would remain underdeveloped. Pax Romana had been working at the grass-roots level to provide space for reflection on this matter. A forum on the Asian Economic Crisis and the role of the Church had been held in Seoul last August, and another International Colloquium on the Impact of Globalization on Poverty, Democratization, and Human Rights took place in Dar-es-Salaam last October. A prophetic time to urge the
international community to deal with the issue of debt cancellation had arrived: the year 2000.
However, it should be stressed that debt-relief measures should focus on sustainable development, in particular a bias towards investment in primary health care and education. Also, debt cancellation should be accompanied by an increase in the amount of Official Development Assistance.
CYNTHIA NEURY, of Movement Against Racism and for Friendship Among Peoples in a joint statement with Centre Europe - Tiers Monde, wished to remind the delegates of the opinion expressed in 1978 by the then Secretary-General that the elimination of foreign economic domination was a prerequisite for development. This concept appeared to have disappeared. Inequality between nations had grown, and economic colonization had taken place.
Today, transnational corporations appeared to be buying up the economies of the countries of the South. It would therefore appear that no longer did the UN preserve human rights, since it did not guarantee the right to development if this contravened the interests of the multi-nationals. The UN was called upon to re-think its policies on this matter.
MERCEDES MOYA, of American Association of Jurists, said that the Association offered two documents for review by the Commission: the first was on the debt of Central American countries incurred in the course of recovering from Hurricane Mitch, and the second underscored the absolute need for a democratic society in order to achieve the right to development.
Numerous abuses and conditions caused by transnational corporations, meanwhile, inhibited developing countries in their efforts to achieve the right to development. The international community must react to moderate and keep the transnational from damaging the democratic process in vulnerable nations.
FIRDOUS SYED BABA, of Himalayan Research and Cultural Foundation, noted that the right to development had a great bearing on the lives of the people of the Third World. This right was an inalienable part of the human rights agenda, and the UN resolution of 1995 on this right was a great step forward, since it underlined the creation of a favourable environment allowing every individual to enjoy his or her human rights.
No human right could be realized in the absence of a favourable environment, and the Foundation called upon the international community and the Commission to bring pressure upon Pakistan to allow the people of Jammu and Kashmir to realize their right to development.
MOHAMED ARIF, of Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization, said opportunities for individuals and communities to move along the path of progress must be guaranteed. The development process must be unfettered, and must keep intact people's distinct identities and their freedom to exploit the resources available to them. Forces outside the control of individuals and communities had directly interfered with the achievement of the right to development. The evidence of this was obvious across the globe, and meanwhile developed countries continued to do business with States sponsoring terrorism.
The concept of development implied the overall realization of the potential of human beings, and peace and security were the essential prerequisites for this. The international community was urged to take steps against terrorist organizations.
HR/CN/99/15
30 March 1999
Greater Official Assistance, Further Debt Relief Urged
A series of developing countries speaking before the Commission on Human Rights this evening urged increases in official development aid, more extensive relief for debt-burdened nations, and stronger emphasis on development issues by the international community.
In a session lasting until midnight, nation after nation said that progress for the global economy had not translated to progress for non-industrialized countries, most of which were being increasingly marginalized. They said that while national Governments were certainly responsible for their countries' economic performances, the gap between haves and have-nots was now so wide that it could not be reduced without substantial help from richer nations and from international efforts to redistribute the benefits of global economic expansion.
Globalization was said to hold out the promise of prosperity, said a representative of Bangladesh, yet it appeared to be contributing to a new process of uneven development and increased inequality both among and within nations. Effective international solidarity and co-operation was crucial for supplementing national development efforts, he said.
A delegate of Mexico remarked that the economic and social progress necessary for development, and the efforts of many countries, had been hampered by the international economic situation, and there was an urgent need to address problems such as financial need, the external debt, low and unstable prices of commodities, and the expenditure of huge amounts of money on the arms race.
Among developed countries addressing the session was the United States, which contended that the focus on development should be on how to enable each child to reach his full human potential. The answer, the United States representative said, lay in providing the full range of human rights to all citizens.
Addressing the meeting were representatives of Bangladesh, Russian Federation, Mexico, United States, Chile, Senegal, Qatar, Indonesia, Sudan, Venezuela, El Salvador, Tunisia, Egypt, UNICEF, Malaysia, Côte d’Ivoire, Australia, Myanmar, Belarus, Iran, Switzerland, Algeria, Yemen, and Nicaragua.
The following non-governmental organizations also spoke: Pax Romana; Movement against Racism and for Friendship among Peoples, and Centre Europe - Tiers Monde (joint statement); American Association of Jurists; Himalayan Research and Cultural Foundation; and Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization.
The Commission will reconvene at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 31 March. It is expected to conclude its discussion of the right to development and then move on to its agenda item on the question of the violation of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine.
Statements
ISMAT JAHAN (Bangladesh) said that the Preamble to the UN Charter identified development as one of the fundamental purposes of the UN. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights also defined social justice and freedom from want as matters of right. In recognizing the human rights dimension of development priorities, it became possible to establish that full realization of the right to development required achieving the right balance of all human rights. It was important to act in concert to achieve development priorities.
The existence of widespread extreme poverty inhibited the full and effective enjoyment of human rights. Globalization was said to hold out the promise of prosperity, yet it was noted that it also brought challenges for the developing countries. Concerns were raised that it contributed to a new process of uneven development and increased inequality both among and within nations. Bangladesh supported early initiation of dialogue towards elaboration of a Convention on the Right to Development, and welcomed the pronouncement of the High Commissioner for Human Rights that promotion and implementation of the right to development was one of the highest priorities of her office.
SERGUEI TCHOUMAREV (Russian Federation) stated that economic growth could not be separated from other human rights and it was essential to recognize that the right to development was an integral factor in the eradication of human rights abuses. It was a factor in ensuring peace and stability and needed to cover all aspects of all areas of human development including political, social, cultural and spiritual aspects. Development must be considered a major consideration in the north/south debate.
It was hoped that the Commission would involve financial institutions and international organizations further in the area of economic development. The international community should focus on a legal framework to help member nations in their efforts to ensure the right to development.
ARTURO HERNANDEZ-BASAVE (Mexico) said that the economic and social progress necessary for development, and the efforts of many countries, had been hampered by the international economic situation. Many inhabitants of the globe were living under the poverty line. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights established that States had the right and the duty to formulate policies that were effective against obstacles to development.
There was an urgent need to address problems such as financial need, the external debt, low and unstable prices of commodities, and the expenditure of millions on the arms race. There had to be an end to the use of human rights as an instrument for trade protectionism. The High Commissioner for Human Rights was called upon to encourage the main actors in the global economy to incorporate and support the right to development in their economic policies. Note was taken of the High Commissioner's report, and support was expressed for it.
NANCY RUBIN (United States) said the focus on development should be on how States achieved the realization of the right of each child to reach his full human potential, and the answer lay in providing the full range of human rights to every citizen. The US strongly supported the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. In nations which limited the freedom of their citizens, national ability to respond to people's needs, to develop commercial opportunities and to create new jobs was limited.
The United States agreed with the International Labour Office Director-General, Juan Somavia, who said that "employment is the first step out of poverty and that it is at the core of economic development and social stability." Grants were being made by the United States to help developing countries to reach their potential and ensure their right to development and a "blueprint" was being developed for a US-African Partnership in the coming century. Further innovative approaches to debt reduction had been proposed and were being developed which channelled resources away from debt service towards education and environmental protection along the lines of financial instruments used in "debt-for-nature" swaps. True and sustainable development could not occur in a climate where human freedom was repressed or sound economics were disregarded.
ALFREDO LABBE (Chile) said the country attributed great importance to achieving a resolution on the right to development by consensus. The right to development was among the most basic of human rights, but there was a hierarchical order to human rights, as in domestic legislation. The right to development was originally conceived of as a right to economic development,but it could also be understood to mean the right to development as a person. It was thus impossible without the proper exercise of civil rights.
Chile opposed the integration of the concept in the Charter of Human Rights since it was a developing legal concept that required serious study before it was adopted. The worst thing that could happen to it would be for it to be perceived merely as a political issue, and therefore be rejected for political reasons. Chile believed that under the right to development, each State had a duty to set up effective policies leading to effective development.
IBOU NDIAYE (Senegal) stated that the right to reach one's full potential and well-being was a fundamental human right. Senegal cited an urgent need to establish better comprehension of the responsibilities of each player on the international scene. The study undertaken by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) commissioned by the High Commissioner for Human Rights must be taken into account by the Commission and the six priorities outlined by the UNIDO report of 1997 must be seriously studied and applied. The right to development concerned all aspects of international economic relations; that was why it seemed to Senegal that more and more it was of primary concern to the Commission, the human-rights treaty bodies, and the specialized UN organizations. It was vital that under no circumstances should economic, social and cultural rights be thought of as less important than civil and political rights.
ALTHANIS KHALID (Qatar) expressed the country's great interest in the concept of the right to development, and approved of the desire of certain States to achieve development. The Declaration at the Vienna Conference stated that the right to development was a fundamental one, and a right of all mankind. The global preparation for a proper environment for all human rights was called for, but it was noted that the right to development could only be achieved by the obtaining of all human rights.
There was a widening gap between the countries of the North and those of the South, and countries with excessive debt should be given the opportunity to escape from this negative impact on their economies. The development of all social classes, and the implementation of the Convention and the Declaration, with its emphasis on the right to development, were called for.
HARRY PURWANTO (Indonesia) said progress towards the implementation of the right to development required effective development policies at the national level as well as equitable economic relations and a favourable economic environment at the international level. The right to development made the human person the central subject of development and called on the principle of popular participation and democracy. The promotion and protection of human rights and development were mutually reinforcing, and a holistic approach was needed.
Indonesia called for concerted action at the national and international levels to mitigate the unfortunate effects of globalization and to ensure the creation of a conducive economic climate for the realization of the right to development. There should be a more open development-oriented and non-discriminatory system of economic relations which would ensure broader and stronger participation of the developing countries in the international economic decision-making process. Finally there should be stronger coordination and cooperation throughout the United Nations system to more effectively promote and realize the right to development.
ALI ABDEL RAHMAN MAHMOUD (Sudan) said the country attached great importance to the right to development as a universal and inalienable right. There had been slow progress in two areas of paramount concern to developing countries, namely the right to development and the eradication of poverty; this slow progress was a grave concern. The negative implications of globalization had to be dealt with, as possibly they would lead to further marginalization and exclusion of the world's poorest nations. So far, globalization had failed to accelerate the development of developing countries, and had also failed to halt increasing poverty. The international community was called upon to engage in a serious dialogue to study the underlying dangers; a collective endeavour was needed towards the realization of decent levels of economic and social development for all.
It was noted that some major players on the international economic scene resorted to such destructive measures as trade and economic embargoes against developing countries. Sudan blamed coercive unilateral measures based on flimsy and unsubstantiated pretexts for the negative state of the Sudanese economy and re-affirmed the willingness and resolve of the Sudanese Government to better the lives of its people.
VICTOR RODRIGUEZ CEDENO (Venezuela) said the right to development was one of the most important for the country. The right to development was a subjective collective right whose definition was complex and had to be adapted to circumstances and in accordance with legal changes and international economic conditions. Development was not only economic but rather a concept which contained diverse elements closely connected with social, cultural and political factors.
Venezuela called for continued international measures towards the achievement of the United Nations Charter to promote social progress and improved living conditions, all the while keeping the central focus on the human being. Venezuela would adopt a national project for development and sought a place in the Working Group dealing with the right to development.
CARLOS GARCIA (El Salvador) commended the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and was eager to know the results of the investigations and recommendations of the Independent Expert. Great importance was attached to the right to development as one that was vital to all human rights, since it guaranteed a better quality of life for all. It was an inalienable and fundamental element of basic human rights. It was a right of each individual to have the necessary tools for development.
Efforts by the international community should be redoubled, with more alliances on all possible levels. The process of globalization involved great opportunities for developing countries, but there was also an increasing gap between developed and developing nations due to the advance of technology and the capacity of the developed countries who had great human resources that could be used by all of the international community. It was recognized that this topic covered different countries and regions; therefore a mechanism for dialogue would be a minimum guarantee that all countries could express their views.
KAMEL MORJANE (Tunisia) said the delegation hoped the Working Group would be effective and successful and welcomed the appointment of the Independent Expert. The right to development was still an idea that Tunisia was aiming towards. Tunisia found the growing gulf as published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) between the North and South and the wealthy and the impoverished hard to accept. This growing gap could negate the dream of the right to development, of all human rights, and even of the right to life.
Tunisia called on the international community to address this crisis through international cooperation and through sustainable development, which Tunisia had adopted. Tunisia underscored the right to peace as the most important factor to be addressed and guarded, without which other rights could not be achieved.
MOUNIR ZAHRAN (Egypt) noted that the right to development was an inalienable right of every human being, and that all peoples had a right to participate in economic development. There was a need for cooperation between countries with a view to promoting development.
The problems faced by developing countries due to increasing globalization, especially in regard to their progress and development, were pronounced, and it was hoped that Resolution 1998/112 could restore balance in this respect. The international community and the Commission were asked to find remedies to this situation which, if left unaddressed, would lead to the marginalization of developing countries. The right to development had to be respected.
MARTA SANTOS PAIS, of UNICEF, said the right to development as it applied to children's rights was enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child; it was considered profoundly important. The mandate of UNICEF in this area was well-established and a number of areas had been identified as relevant to the right to development from the perspective of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Implementation of the Convention in development activities was critical and should be envisaged as a central concern for this agenda item and in particular for the work of the Independent Expert and the open-ended Working Group.
UNICEF was concerned with the effects of the current economic crisis, deteriorating social conditions and increasing social exclusion; these problems required an increasing commitment to human rights which began with children's rights as an essential component of all development efforts.
ZAINAL R. NUSHIRWAN (Malaysia) said there was a sense of déja-vu whenever the Commission addressed the issue of the right to development. An appeal for a consensus on the relevant resolution was addressed to all countries. It was agreed that economic success could not be assured unless all human rights, including economic, social and cultural rights, were observed and guaranteed.
However, the key lesson was that there ought to be limits to economic action perpetrated by unaccountable agents. Attempts to redefine the right to development were viewed with concern by Malaysia.
CLAUDE BOVAH-KAMON (Côte d’Ivoire) said the responsibility of States in realizing the right to development required international cooperation; it could not be done by developing countries on their own; such countries had to walk hand-in-hand with the developed countries towards the achievement of this fundamental right.
Each State had a further heavy load to carry in the achievement of the obligation to provide the right to development within its borders. One of the heaviest loads for many countries, and especially countries in Africa, was foreign debt. The initiatives proposed by Germany and France along with numerous other countries and NGOs was welcomed in terms of cancelling the debt of the most heavily burdened and most impoverished countries. Such a move was critical to making progress.
ANDREW GOLEDZINOWSKI (Australia) said the country was a traditional supporter of the right to development. A few simple principles should be expressed in relation to activities for promoting the right: all human rights were indivisible, inalienable, and inter-related; the individual was the focus for human rights, and should be as well for development; States had a responsibility to provide the national and international conditions for development; and the best conditions were achieved if all States behaved in a transparent and equitable manner.
It was apparent to Australia that the consensus arrived at last year indicated that the international community was in agreement on the importance of the right to development, but nothing really had happened since. Three objectives were called for: a return to a consensus text; the creation of a positive atmosphere; and a commitment to transparent, open and conclusive approach to the work in hand.
U LINN MYAING (Myanmar) underscored the growing gap between the developed and developing countries and cited greater levels of Official Development Assistance (ODA) as a way of rectifying the imbalance, along with transfer of technology and other financial and technical assistance. There was need for the developed, resource-rich countries to direct their efforts towards providing further help to States in need, and to do so in a spirit of goodwill and free of conditions.
Myanmar endorsed the call made upon the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner, in the Resolution on the Right to Development adopted by the General Assembly at its 53rd session, to undertake a dialogue with the World Bank with regard to the right to development. Myanmar had taken measures to ensure progress in providing the right to development to its citizens, including liberalizing domestic and external trade policies, and instituting changes in the role of the private sector, pricing systems and labour markets. Myanmar reiterated its full commitment to the implementation of the right to development despite limited financial resources.
STANISLAU AGURTSOV (Belarus) said the country paid much attention to the implementation of the concept of development; it was considered as part of a comprehensive economic, social, cultural and political process directed at constant improvement of the well-being of the whole person and of each person.
Indicators of development helped to judge objectively the efforts of all countries in the field of implementation, promotion and protection of human rights. Belarus hoped that development assistance could help countries in transition to overcome difficulties, to lose nothing of what they had achieved, and to enable them to move towards sustainable development, the observance of human rights, and respect for fundamental freedoms.
FARHAD MAMDOUHI (Iran) noted that the already wide economic gap between developed and developing countries was increasingly leading to the former's marginalization. Lack of structural equilibrium in the international economic system and the absence of an enabling economic environment had hampered the enjoyment by the developing countries of a wide range of human rights, including the right to development.
It was important that the right to development be seen as a right equal to any other human right, and the UN had an important role to play in its promotion. The establishment of an open-ended Working Group for evaluation of progress made in the promotion and implementation of the right to development had Iran's full support.
CHRISTOPH PAPPA (Switzerland) said the right to development had become an important and also controversial subject; only recently had it been established as an integral part of fundamental human rights. International human rights instruments, if implemented, made a substantial contribution to the right to development. Conversely, the state of a country's development was generally a good indicator of a country's overall respect for human rights. Lack of development, it bore repeating, could not be invoked as an excuse for lack of respect for other basic human rights.
Some questions remained, such as whether it was possible to find a good balance between the collective and individual aspects of this right. Whatever else was said, it should be remembered that the human being should be the focus of attempts at development.
SAID KHELIFI (Algeria) noted that the topic of the right to development was most relevant to the situation of extreme poverty in which a large part of the world's population lived. A reaffirmation of the equality and interdependence of all human rights was necessary, and it was worth noting that the situation in the developing countries compromised the full enjoyment of all human rights. The current trend towards globalization imposed a need for solidarity and cooperation between all countries
Achieving the right to development required effective national policies as well as equitable economic relations and a favourable economic environment. International solidarity was essential for making meaningful progress.
MOHAMED SAEED AL-ATTAR (Yemen) said the country applauded the efforts and achievements made by the Commission on Human Rights. The most fundamental rights could not be achieved unless national and international rights were respected and enforced. Yemen had made great effort to develop a free economy and to encourage investment in the private sector in its ambition to aid social and cultural development. The programmes under way placed emphasis on policies to strengthen democratic rights. Despite these efforts, local infrastructure weaknesses had created obstacles to achieving the right to development. Yemen further had felt the effects of globalization on trade and international commerce.
Yemen appealed to the international community to take on its responsibilities to ensure an international environment which encouraged development among the world's less-advantaged countries. There should be greater international cooperation to help developing countries enjoy greater benefits of globalization.
CECILIA SANCHEZ REYES (Nicaragua) noted that it had been recognized by the Commission that the basis of all human rights was human dignity. But human dignity could not be protected when so many of the world's people suffered from extreme poverty. The right to development was one of their fundamental human rights. Only sustainable development could ensure that they would have full enjoyment of those and all the rest of their human rights.
Nicaragua placed the human being at the centre of economic development, and called for respect for ethnic diversity, as well as for the peaceful co-existence of all citizens. Progress on this issue depended not only on national but on international effort, aid, and support; the Nicaraguan democracy was new and its economy, while progressing hopefully, was fragile.
BRENDA MOFYA, of Pax Romana, said that Governments of highly indebted countries were finding it difficult to service their debts and make necessary investments in health and education; as long as the issue of debt was not resolved, these economies would remain underdeveloped. Pax Romana had been working at the grass-roots level to provide space for reflection on this matter. A forum on the Asian Economic Crisis and the role of the Church had been held in Seoul last August, and another International Colloquium on the Impact of Globalization on Poverty, Democratization, and Human Rights took place in Dar-es-Salaam last October. A prophetic time to urge the
international community to deal with the issue of debt cancellation had arrived: the year 2000.
However, it should be stressed that debt-relief measures should focus on sustainable development, in particular a bias towards investment in primary health care and education. Also, debt cancellation should be accompanied by an increase in the amount of Official Development Assistance.
CYNTHIA NEURY, of Movement Against Racism and for Friendship Among Peoples in a joint statement with Centre Europe - Tiers Monde, wished to remind the delegates of the opinion expressed in 1978 by the then Secretary-General that the elimination of foreign economic domination was a prerequisite for development. This concept appeared to have disappeared. Inequality between nations had grown, and economic colonization had taken place.
Today, transnational corporations appeared to be buying up the economies of the countries of the South. It would therefore appear that no longer did the UN preserve human rights, since it did not guarantee the right to development if this contravened the interests of the multi-nationals. The UN was called upon to re-think its policies on this matter.
MERCEDES MOYA, of American Association of Jurists, said that the Association offered two documents for review by the Commission: the first was on the debt of Central American countries incurred in the course of recovering from Hurricane Mitch, and the second underscored the absolute need for a democratic society in order to achieve the right to development.
Numerous abuses and conditions caused by transnational corporations, meanwhile, inhibited developing countries in their efforts to achieve the right to development. The international community must react to moderate and keep the transnational from damaging the democratic process in vulnerable nations.
FIRDOUS SYED BABA, of Himalayan Research and Cultural Foundation, noted that the right to development had a great bearing on the lives of the people of the Third World. This right was an inalienable part of the human rights agenda, and the UN resolution of 1995 on this right was a great step forward, since it underlined the creation of a favourable environment allowing every individual to enjoy his or her human rights.
No human right could be realized in the absence of a favourable environment, and the Foundation called upon the international community and the Commission to bring pressure upon Pakistan to allow the people of Jammu and Kashmir to realize their right to development.
MOHAMED ARIF, of Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization, said opportunities for individuals and communities to move along the path of progress must be guaranteed. The development process must be unfettered, and must keep intact people's distinct identities and their freedom to exploit the resources available to them. Forces outside the control of individuals and communities had directly interfered with the achievement of the right to development. The evidence of this was obvious across the globe, and meanwhile developed countries continued to do business with States sponsoring terrorism.
The concept of development implied the overall realization of the potential of human beings, and peace and security were the essential prerequisites for this. The international community was urged to take steps against terrorist organizations.