Türk addresses Africa Regional Dialogue on right to development as a transformative tool

Excellencies,

All protocol observed,

A warm welcome to this Africa-Wide High-Level Consultation, and thanks to the African Union for co-hosting this meeting.

As we mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one of the world’s most inspiring and groundbreaking texts, we are reminded of its promise.

Human rights for everyone, everywhere.

It is an appropriate moment to take stock of progress, of lessons learnt, and of the current challenges faced by countries in Africa in upholding all human rights, particularly the right to development, the focus of the discussion today.

It is a time to rekindle and reinvigorate the spirit of the Universal Declaration and advance its commitment to freedom, equality, and justice for all.

This is the first of several regional dialogues my Office is holding as part of our Human Rights 75 initiative. The outcomes of your discussions today will feed into our Vision Statement for Human Rights to be released at our High-Level Event in December, informing 2024’s Summit of the Future.

We also look forward to receiving human rights pledges from UN Member States, alongside other actors. Through these pledges, you demonstrate your willingness to take concrete action to improve human rights.

And you shape history, by carving out a renewed vision for humanity.

Distinguished delegates, dear colleagues,

Genuine development fosters increased social justice. Development does not exploit. Development dismantles inequalities.

Yet in Africa, deep – and deepening – inequalities continue to wrack vast swathes of the continent. The COVID-19 pandemic inflamed these inequalities. The triple planetary crisis threatens to amplify them further. And the heavy debt burden and distress faced by many countries in Africa is driving cavernous divides between rich and poor.

Regional and global leaders have made multiple promises.

The promise to leave no one behind. The promises of Agenda 2030. The promises of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.

This consultation is extremely timely.

We all agree that there is no peace without development; there is no development without peace; and there is no sustainable peace and development without respect for human rights.

My Office is championing a paradigm shift in global policy discourse by promoting a human rights economy.

This means people and the planet at the heart of economic policies, investment decisions, consumer choices, and business models.

All with the goal of significantly enhancing the enjoyment of human rights for all.

This anniversary year – this moment of reflection – provides an opportunity to assess current economic models and policies, including on the African continent.

To find new ways to tackle pressing human rights challenges.

And to reinvigorate and renew our commitment to advancing the realization of all human rights – including civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and the right to development.

As the Declaration on the Right to Development reminds us, development is a comprehensive economic, social, cultural, and political process. Its goal is the constant improvement of the well-being of all individuals, based on their active, free, and meaningful participation.

I urge the African Union, Regional Economic Communities, AU Member States, and all relevant stakeholders to embrace, support and take action to put in place a human rights economy.

The ongoing review of the draft international covenant on the right to development also presents an excellent opportunity to ensure that development priorities for Africa are reflected in this future legally binding text.

Other flagship projects, such as the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, can contribute to the realization of the right to development, while at the same time addressing climate change, migration, and other issues in Africa.

I am pleased to hear of progressive reforms underway in countries, such as Benin, including new laws expanding access to sexual and reproductive health rights and reinforcing the criminalization of gender-based violence.

I am also encouraged by the existing partnership arrangements between the African Union and the UN, including the 2017 Joint Framework on Peace and Security, the 2018 AU-UN Development Framework, and the Draft AU-UN Human Rights Framework. These are important tools for the advancement of the humanitarian, development and peace sectors, promoting an integrated way of working to provide lasting and sustainable solutions to our biggest challenges.

I am confident that your discussions will provide a wealth of innovative ideas on the right to development as a transformative tool to accelerate progress in Africa, both on Agenda 2063 and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

My Office is ready to support you.

I thank you for your attention.

Je vous remercie.

Parts of this speech were delivered in French.