Statement by Mr. Saad Alfarargi, Special Rapporteur on the right to development , 39th session of the Human Rights Council

12 September 2018

Mister President, distinguished delegates, representatives of civil society, fellow Rapporteurs, ladies and gentlemen.

Today, I have the honour to introduce my 2018 annual thematic report, including a summary of my activities.

In September 2017, the Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 36/9, which requested me to hold regional consultations on the implementation of the right to development. The aim of these consultations, which I am convening throughout 2018 and 2019, is to identify good practices in designing, implementing, monitoring and assessing policies and programmes that contribute to the realization of the right to development in various regions.

The first consultation, for the States from the African Group, took place in Addis Ababa (27–29 March 2018). The second consultation, for the Group of Western European and other States and the Eastern European Group, took place on 11 and 12 June 2018 in Geneva. I am planning to hold subsequent consultations for the Latin American and Caribbean Group in October 2018 and for the Asia-Pacific Group in December 2018. The consultations have so far gathered representatives of Member States from the respective regions, as well as representatives of United Nations agencies, intergovernmental organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector.

Mister President,

When initiating the regional consultations I decided to focus on identifying and promoting good practices in the practical implementation of the right to development, including with regards to the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs devised to advance human development through the human rights-based approach. I believe that looking at local level human development initiatives and experiences would help bring light on context-specific indicators and monitoring methodologies.  The outcome I expect is the development of a set of practical guidelines and recommendations drawn from this empirical evidence.

I would like to briefly highlight key elements that were raised during the consultations held so far. Throughout the discussions, I heard one overarching concern, namely the difficulties in ensuring effective participation and inclusion of all stakeholders in development processes at the local, national, regional and international levels.  The lack of access to reliable, timely, and easy to comprehend information on development policies represents an obstacle to meaningful participation. Particularly, individuals and communities that have suffered exclusion and discrimination are often not in a position to mobilise around their interests and that of their communities. States have a responsibility to empower these stakeholders so they can formulate their own development priorities. The right to development requires that all stakeholders take part in all stages of development processes, including in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs.  Only when participation is real, policies and programs are able to meet the needs and expectations of their intended beneficiaries.

The Declaration on the Right to Development, entitles everyone to participate in, contribute to and enjoy development in its economic, social, cultural and political dimensions. This must be the guiding force in the implementation of the post-2015 development framework. 

The absence of adequate means of implementation also remain a major obstacle. Too often, existing resources are mismanaged and pledges to formal development cooperation are slow to trickle down to intended beneficiaries. In Africa particularly, I heard wishes to see the right to development better integrated in regional initiatives. In this context, participants expressed hope that South-South cooperation could be further strengthen as a complement to traditional forms of development cooperation

Effective participation also allows the mobilization of domestic resources, including human resources, and fosters a culture of accountability.  The participants in the two regional consultations also provided a considerable number of practical recommendations on designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating development policies, programmes and projects in a manner compliant with the right to development. Summaries of the recommendations from these and future consultations are available on the website of my mandate.

Since the beginning of my mandate, I have also been focussing on the development of a specific methodology for the conduct of in-situ country visits to assess the implementation of the right to development. I have sent requests for country visits to 20 countries and I am pleased to announce that so far seven countries have responded positively to my requests. I am planning to conduct my first country visit to Cabo Verde in November 2018. I wish to thank the Government of Cabo Verde for their invitation and cooperation.

As per my mandate under Resolution 33/14, in April 2018, I participated in the nineteenth session of the Working Group, held an interactive dialogue with its members and participated in a panel, making a statement devoted to the right to development and inequalities.

Mister President,

I now turn to the presentation of my report, which explores the connection between the right to development and equality and examines the consequences of inequalities for the enjoyment of the right to development.

Inequality threatens long-term social and economic development and impedes poverty reduction. Inequality has an impact on the ability of individuals and communities to participate in, contribute to and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development. It is, therefore, a major obstacle to the realization of the right to development within and between countries.

The 2030 Agenda itself recognizes the “rising inequalities within and among countries”, “enormous disparities of opportunity, wealth and power” and persistent “gender inequality” as “immense challenges” confronting the world today. When adopting the 2030 Agenda, States made a commitment to leave no one behind, to ensure targets are met for all nations and peoples and for all segments of society, and to systematically reach those left furthest behind first. Consistent with international human rights law, the 2030 Agenda acknowledges that relative inequalities in income and wealth hamper the achievement of development.

In my report, I focused primarily on addressing inequalities within countries. The widening disparities of today’s world require the adoption of sound policies to empower the bottom percentile of income earners and to promote inclusion of all regardless of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.

What are the steps necessary to effectively reduce inequalities within countries? While this is a complex question that requires context-specific answers, it is nevertheless possible to identify some key areas of action. In my report, I provide a set of recommendations on the promotion, protection and fulfilment of the right to development in the context of the implementation of the equality-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda.

In conclusion, I would like to stress that an effective discharge of this mandate will only be possible with the full cooperation of Member States, international organizations and non-governmental organizations, and with adequate support from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

I thank you all for your kind attention.