The Right to Development

A/RES/58/172No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 117bHuman rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, published in 2004.

What else is in this group?

48 documents · 2000–2025

Newer documents in this group exist (latest: 2025).

2025A/RES/80/207The right to developmentCompare with earlier document
2025A/HRC/RES/60/7The right to developmentCompare with earlier document
2024A/RES/79/170The right to developmentCompare with earlier document
2024A/HRC/RES/57/19The right to developmentCompare with earlier document
2023A/RES/78/203The right to developmentCompare with earlier document

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Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

1 report of the Secretary-General submitted under this mandate, 2004.

2004A/59/255The right to development report of the Secretary-General

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What does this mandate say?

29 operative paragraphs

Endorses the conclusions of the third session of the Working Group on the Right to Development,8 as adopted by the Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 2002/69 of 25 April 2002, which constitute a solid foundation for further initiatives towards the promotion and the realization of the right to development;

Requests the Working Group at its fifth session to revisit and build upon the conclusions of its third session in order to constructively and effectively fulfil its mandate, bearing in mind that the Working Group did not reach a conclusion at its fourth session;

Stresses the importance of the core principles contained in the conclusions of the third session of the Working Group, congruent with the purpose of international human rights instruments, such as equality, non-discrimination, accountability, participation and international cooperation, as critical to mainstreaming the right to development at the international level, and underlines the importance of the principles of equity and transparency;

Reaffirms the commitment to implement the goals and targets set out in all the outcome documents of the major United Nations conferences and summits and their review processes, in particular those relating to the realization of the right to development, recognizing that the realization of the right to development is critical to achieving the objectives, goals and targets set in those outcome documents;

Reaffirms also that the realization of the right to development is essential to the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,3 which regards all human rights as universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, places the human person at the centre of development and recognizes that, while development facilitates the enjoyment of all human rights, the lack of development may not be invoked to justify the abridgement of internationally recognized human rights;

Stresses that the basic responsibility for the promotion and protection of all human rights lies with the State, and reaffirms that States have the primary responsibility for their own economic and social development and that the role of national policies and development strategies cannot be overemphasized;

Reaffirms that States have the primary responsibility for the creation of national and international conditions favourable to the realization of the right to development and their commitment to cooperating with each other to that end;

Reaffirms also the need for an international environment that is conducive to the realization of the right to development;

Stresses the need to strive for greater acceptance, operationalization and realization of the right to development at the international and national levels, and calls upon States to institute the measures required for the implementation of the right to development as a fundamental human right;

Emphasizes the critical importance of identifying and analysing obstacles impeding the full realization of the right to development at both the national and the international levels;

Affirms that, while globalization offers both opportunities and challenges, the process of globalization remains deficient in achieving the objectives of integrating all countries into a globalized world, and stresses the need for policies and measures at the national and global levels to respond to the challenges and opportunities of globalization if this process is to be made fully inclusive and equitable;

Recognizes that, despite continuous efforts on the part of the international community, the gap between developed and developing countries remains unacceptably wide, that developing countries continue to face difficulties in participating in the globalization process and that many risk being marginalized and effectively excluded from its benefits;

Reaffirms the commitment, and urges developed countries that have not yet done so, to make concrete efforts towards meeting the targets of 0.7 per cent of their gross national product for official development assistance to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.2 per cent of their gross national product to least developed countries, and encourages developing countries to build on the progress achieved in ensuring that official development assistance is used effectively to help to meet development goals and targets;

Recognizes the need to address market access for developing countries, including in respect of agriculture, services and non-agricultural products, in particular those of interest to developing countries;

Considers that a desirable pace of meaningful trade liberalization, including in areas under negotiation; implementation of commitments on implementation-related issues and concerns; review of special and differential-treatment provisions, with a view to strengthening them and making them more precise, effective and operational; avoidance of new forms of protectionism; and capacity-building and technical assistance for developing countries are important issues in making progress towards the effective implementation of the right to development;

Underlines the fact that the international community is far from meeting the target set in the United Nations Millennium Declaration1 of halving the number of people living in poverty by 2015, and emphasizes the principle of international cooperation, including partnership and commitment, between developed and developing countries towards achieving the goal;

Recognizes the important link between the international economic, commercial and financial spheres and the realization of the right to development, stresses, in this regard, the need to broaden the base of decision-making at the international level on issues of development concern and to fill organizational gaps, as well as strengthen the United Nations system and other multilateral institutions, and also stresses the need to broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries and economies in transition in international economic decision-making and norm-setting;

Recognizes also that good governance and the rule of law at the national level assist all States in the promotion and protection of human rights, including the right to development, and agrees on the value of the ongoing efforts being made by States to identify and strengthen good governance practices, including transparent, responsible, accountable and participatory government, that are responsive and appropriate to their needs and aspirations, including in the context of agreed partnership approaches to development, capacity-building and technical assistance;

Recognizes further the important role and the rights of women and the application of a gender perspective as a cross-cutting issue in the process of realizing the right to development, and notes in particular the positive relationship between women’s education and their equal participation in the civil, cultural, economic, political and social activities of the community and the promotion of the right to development;

Stresses the need for the integration of the rights of children, girls and boys alike, in all policies and programmes, and for ensuring the protection and promotion of those rights, especially in areas relating to health, education and the full development of their capacities;

Stresses also that further and additional measures must be taken at the national and international levels to fight HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases, taking into account ongoing efforts and programmes, and reiterates the need for international assistance in this regard;

Recognizes the need for strong partnerships with civil society organizations and the private sector in pursuit of poverty eradication and development, as well as for good corporate governance;

Emphasizes the urgent need for taking concrete measures to fight against all forms of corruption at the national and international levels, to prevent, detect and deter in a more effective manner international transfers of illicitly acquired assets and to strengthen international cooperation in asset recovery, stresses the importance of a genuine political commitment on the part of all Governments through a firm legal framework, and in this context urges States to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention against Corruption5 as soon as possible;

Looks forward to the consideration by the Commission on Human Rights at its sixty-first session of the concept document to be prepared by the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights establishing options for the implementation of the right to development and their feasibility;

Emphasizes the need to strengthen further the activities of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the promotion and realization of the right to development, including ensuring effective use of the financial and human resources necessary to fulfil its mandate and better servicing of and support for the Working Group on the Right to Development;

Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the Office of the High Commissioner effectively assists in implementing the recommendations contained in the conclusions of the third session of the Working Group on the Right to Development,8 and to ensure also the meaningful participation and contribution of all relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, the specialized agencies and international organizations in the next session of the Working Group;

Calls upon the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, as well as the specialized agencies, to mainstream the right to development in their operational programmes and objectives, and stresses the need for the international financial and multilateral trading systems to mainstream the right to development in their policies and objectives;

Requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the attention of Member States, United Nations organs and bodies, specialized agencies, funds and programmes, international development and financial institutions, in particular the Bretton Woods institutions, and non-governmental organizations;

Also requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the General Assembly at its fifty-ninth session and an interim report to the Commission on Human Rights at its sixtieth session on the implementation of the present resolution, including efforts undertaken at the national, regional and international levels in the promotion and realization of the right to development.

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The Right to Development

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