The tenth session of the Expert Mechanism on the Right to the Development will take place in Room XXI, Palais des Nations, Geneva from Monday 28 October to Wednesday 30 October 2024, 10h to 13h and 15h to 18h Central European Time (CET).

At its tenth session, the EMRTD aims to undertake meaningful exchanges with Member States, civil society, experts, and practitioners about the different ways in which the right to development can be featured in ongoing international discussions, agreements, and instruments.

The session will feature a general debate, a coordination meeting with other United Nations mechanisms on the right to development, a discussion on two studies, and six interactive thematic dialogues to draw upon experiences, good practices, and strategies around pressing global needs.

1. Opening of the session
2. Adoption of the agenda and programme of work.
3. General debate.
4. . Coordination meeting with other United Nations mechanisms on the right to development.
   Mr. Zamir Akram,  Chair-Rapporteur of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development (video-message)
   Mr. Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development (video-message)
5. Implementation of the mandate and programme of work:
   1. Focused thematic discussions:
      1. Business and the right to development
         Concept Note/Flyer
         • H.E. Mr. Gustavo Gallón, Permanent Representative of Colombia
         • Mr. Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development (video-message)
         • Mr. Jason Pegat-Toquet, International Organisation of Employers
         • Ms. Kinda Mohamadieh, Third World Network
      2. Engaging the unengaged: building inclusive development through meaningful civil society participation
         Concept Note/Flyer
         • Ms. Ana María Suárez Franco, Permanent Representative of FIAN in Geneva
         • Ms. Siân Bagshaw, World Scout Bureau Europe
         • Ms. Aehshatou Manu, Mbororo Indigenous Peoples
         • Botswana (TBC)
         • International Disability Alliance (TBC)
      3. Artificial intelligence, cultural rights and right to development
         Concept Note/Flyer
         • H.E. Mr. Tareq Md. Ariful Islam, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh
         • Mr. Mehdi Snene, Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology
         • Ms. Anja Gengo, Internet Governance Forum
         • Ms. Carole Tongue, International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity
      4. Trade, biodiversity and the right to development: an equation to be constructed
         Concept Note/Flyer
         • H.E. Ms. Yvonne Dausab, Minister of Justice of Namibia
         • Ms. Erika Watanabe Patriota, Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil to WTO
         • Ms. Geneviève Savigny, Chair-Rapporteur UN Working Group on Peasants (video-message)  
         • Ms. Beatriz Fernandez, UNEP
         • Ms. Carolyn Deere Birkbeck, Forum on Trade, Environment & SDGs
      5. Bilateral, regional and multilateral trade: friends or enemies of the right to development
         Concept Note/Flyer
         • H.E. Ms. Patricia Ann Hermanns, Permanent Representative of Bahamas
         • H.E. Ms. Nadia Theodore, Permanent Representative of Canada to WTO
         • Mr. Olivier De Schutter, Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights
         • Ms. Anastasia Nesvetailova, UNCTAD
         • H.E. Mr. Marcel Robert Tibaleka, Permanent Representative of Uganda (TBC)
      6. The future of international cooperation
         Concept Note/Flyer
         • H.E. Mr. Marc Bichler, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg
         • H.E. Mr. James Ngango, Permanent Representative of Rwanda
         • Ms. Attiya Waris, Independent Expert on Foreign Debt, International Financial Obligations and Human Rights
         • Ms. Ida McDonnell, OECD
   2. Consideration of thematic studies:
      1. Individual and collective dimension of the right to development (A/HRC/57/40)
      2. Right to development in international development cooperation (A/HRC/EMRTD/10/CRP.10)
6. Conclusion of the session

In-person participation will be possible in the public meetings where simultaneous interpretation in the six official languages will be made available.
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 will be allowed to ask for the floor and intervene, in that order.

All participants are requested to register using indico. Delegations are kindly reminded to submit copies of their statements to OHCHR-emrtd@un.org prior to delivery. 

List of speakers:

The list of speakers will open in the room at the beginning of each meeting. To pre-register in the list, please send an email to OHCHR-emrtd@un.org. 

Time limit:

General Debate: 10 minutes for group statements, 7 minutes for national statements, and 7 minutes for statements by IGOs, the UN, and other stakeholders.
Interactive dialogues: 3 minutes for all participants from the floor. Participants may take the floor more than once if time allows.

Documentation

• Provisional agenda
• Programme of work
• Concept Note for the focused thematic discussion “Business and the right to development”
• Concept Note for the focused thematic discussion “Engaging the unengaged: building inclusive development through meaningful civil society participation”
• Concept Note for the focused thematic discussion “Artificial intelligence, cultural rights and the right to development"
• Concept Note for the “Trade, biodiversity and the right to development: an equation to be constructed”
• Concept Note for the focused thematic discussion “Bilateral, regional and multilateral trade: friends or enemies of the right to development"
• Concept Note for the “The future of international cooperation”
• EMRTD study “Individual and collective dimension of the right to development (A/HRC/57/40)”
• EMRTD study “Right to development in international development cooperation (A/HRC/EMRTD/10/CRP.10)” 

Statements

• Opening statement by Ambassador Marcela Maria Arias Moncada, Vice-President of the Human Rights Council (coming soon)
• Opening statement by Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Nada Al-Nashif (coming soon)

Live streaming

• First meeting, Monday 28 October 10h – 13h (Opening / Adoption PoW / General Debate)
• Second meeting, Monday 28 October 15h – 18h (Business and the right to development / Consideration of thematic studies)
• Third meeting, Tuesday 29 October 10h – 13h (Coordination meeting with United Nations mechanisms on the Right to Development / Engaging the Unengaged: Building Inclusive Development through meaningful civil society participation)
• Fourth meeting, Tuesday 29 October 15h – 18h (Artificial intelligence, cultural rights and the right to development / Trade, biodiversity and the right to development: an equation to be constructed)
• Fifth meeting, Thursday 30 October 10h – 13h (Bilateral, regional and multilateral trade: friends or enemies of the right to development)
• Sixth meeting, Thursday 30 October 15h – 18h (The future of international cooperation / conclusion of the session)