Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development Presents to the Human Rights Council a Draft International Covenant on the Right to Development

Council Starts General Debate on the Promotion and Protection of All Human Rights after the Presentation of Reports, and Concludes Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development

The Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development this afternoon presented to the Human Rights Council a draft international covenant on the right to development.  The Council started a general debate on the promotion and protection of all human rights after the presentation of reports, and concluded an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right to development.

Zamir Akram, Chair-Rapporteur of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development, said that at its twenty-fourth session, the main part of the session was dedicated to the consideration and negotiation of the second revised text of the draft legally binding instrument on the right to development as mandated by the Council.  He presented the report containing a draft international covenant on the right to development.  Mr. Akram recommended to the Council to transmit the draft, together with the commentaries, to the General Assembly and to recommend to the General Assembly, as the appropriate forum, to convene an intergovernmental conference, under the auspices of the United Nations, with the mandate to consider and adopt the international covenant on the right to development as soon as possible.

Mxolisi Sizo Nkosi, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Activities of Private Military and Security Companies, introducing the progress report on the fourth session of the Working Group, said the revised second draft of an international regulatory framework on the regulation, monitoring and oversight over the activities of private military and security companies had been the basis of the negotiations which took place during the session.  The progress report took stock of all the work and significant progress the Working Group had achieved until now, moving from mere elements for a draft regulatory framework to four consecutive texts presented and commented on during the intersessional periods or during the Working Group’s sessions.  An extension of the Working Group’s mandate would allow it to continue working toward the elaboration of the content of an international regulatory framework on the activities of private military and security companies. 

Peggy Hicks, Director of the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, presented 10 written reports by the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General on: Preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights; the yearly supplement to the quinquennial report on capital punishment and the implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty; the right to development; the rights of indigenous peoples; summary report on the discussions held at the regional seminars on the contribution of development to the enjoyment of all human rights; the report on the future of the right to work in connection with climate change actions, responses and impacts in the context of sustainable and inclusive economies; the rights of the child and inclusive social protection; the implementation of the fourth phase of the World Programme for Human Rights Education; the human rights challenges in addressing and countering all aspects of the world drug problem; and the human rights of migrants. 

In the general debate under agenda item three, speakers raised many topics, including the effective realisation of all human rights, including economic, social and cultural rights and civil and political rights, in particular the right to development; how the use of unilateral coercive measures impeded the achievement of human rights in some regions; nuclear war; the death penalty; and the right to development, among others.

Speaking in the general debate were Costa Rica on behalf of a group of countries, Côte d'Ivoire on behalf of the Group of African States, Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Belgium on behalf of a group of countries, China on behalf of a group of countries, Pakistan on behalf of a group of countries, Viet Nam on behalf of a group of countries, Kazakhstan on behalf of a group of countries, Switzerland on behalf of a group of countries, Chile on behalf of a group of countries, Spain on behalf of the European Union, Switzerland on behalf of a group of countries,  Venezuela on behalf of a group of countries, Azerbaijan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, Oman on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Panama on behalf of a group of countries, Cuba on behalf of a group of countries, Spain on behalf of a group of countries, Brazil on behalf of a group of countries, Saudi Arabia on behalf of a group of countries, Luxembourg, China, France, Ukraine, United States, Malawi, Malaysia, Costa Rica, Georgia, Romania, South Africa, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Cuba, Algeria, India, Bolivia, Mexico and Honduras.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Council concluded its interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right to development.

Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the right to development, in concluding remarks, said some key focal points of his work would be on international financial architecture; the relationship between migration and development; and a focus on climate development.  He acknowledged that unilateral coercive measures may impact the right to development in certain situations, and he would work with another Expert to address this issue.  He said the world had plenty of resources; the question was how they could be redistributed and shared.

In the discussion, some speakers said human rights were fundamental principles, and a holistic strategy for fostering development and ensuring the well-being of all citizens, with a focus on people at the centre of progress, was the way forward.  The COVID-19 crisis had affected the entire world community, especially developing countries, least developed countries and small island developing States.  States must have access to the necessary resources in order to ensure development.  Today, and with just seven years to go to 2030, climate change, conflict, COVID-19 and economic crises were cutting people off from their chance to thrive and denying them the full exercise of their rights. 

Speaking in the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur were Botswana, Cambodia, Cabo Verde, United Nations Children's Fund, Oman, Timor-Leste, Germany, Russian Federation, Eritrea, Niger, Bahamas, South Centre, Ghana, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Azerbaijan, Rwanda and Bolivia.

Also speaking were Burundi: Commission Nationale Indépendante des Droits de l’homme, as well as the following non-governmental organizations: Centre Europe - Tiers Monde, Associazione Comunita Papa Giovanni XXIII, China Association for Preservation and Development of Tibetan Culture, Sikh Human Rights Group, China Ethnic Minorities’ Association for External Exchanges, Institute of Sustainable Development, International Lesbian and Gay Association, Action Canada for Population and Development, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, and Association of Iranian Short Statured Adults.

The webcast of the Human Rights Council meetings can be found here.  All meeting summaries can be found here.  Documents and reports related to the Human Rights Council’s fifty-third regular session can be found here.

The Council will next meet at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 21 September, when it will continue the general debate under agenda item three on the promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development.

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development

The interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right to development started in the previous meeting and a summary can be found here.

Discussion

In the discussion, some speakers said the 2030 Agenda and the African Union’s Agenda 23 offered great hope for the realisation of the right to development.  This could not be achieved without increased accountability in financing for development, and combatting illicit financial flows.  Human rights were fundamental principles, and a holistic strategy for fostering development and ensuring the well-being of all citizens, with a focus on people at the centre of progress, was the way forward.  The COVID-19 crisis had affected the entire world, especially developing countries, least developed countries and small island developing States. Developing countries were facing multiple challenges on varying levels.  The fight against poverty and all forms of discrimination was very important.  Development must be sustainable. 

States must have access to the necessary resources in order to ensure development, a number of speakers said.  Today, and with just seven years to go to 2030, climate change, conflict, COVID-19, and economic crises were cutting people off from their chance to thrive and denying them the full exercise of their rights.  If no action was taken, millions of lives could be lost to easily preventable causes like disease, poor nutrition, and unsafe water.  States must comply with their obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of every child without discrimination and accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.  The achievement of the right to development depended on international cooperation and solidarity; only together could this and all other rights be achieved, fostering an inclusive society where all had access to education, food, and a healthy life. 

Economic progress must not come at the cost of irreversible environmental balance, and it was vital to strike this balance, protecting the environment for the benefit of future generations, a speaker said.  Everyone was entitled to a social and international order where their rights and freedoms could be fully realised, as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Human dignity and universal human rights came with a responsibility to cooperate.  A rights-based international order must be ensured that served all States equally. 

The efforts of the Special Rapporteur to overcome conceptual confusion and achieve a holistic approach to the right to development could help overcome challenges to its achievement, a speaker said.  Active participation by persons in decision-making was a key element of the right to development.  International development cooperation must be based on mutual respect, genuine partnership, cooperation, and recognition of the full sovereignty of States over their natural resources, another speaker said.  Unilateral coercive measures and the manipulation of the international financial system were among the main challenges to the realisation of the right to development by States and their subjects. 

There must be a concerted, cross-border approach to ensuring the holistic achievement of the right to development for all.  Some speakers said that reducing poverty, hunger and inequality was the way to strengthen national development policies, face the current global challenges, and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights.  The international community must reduce misconceptions on the right, and avoid polarisation on the issue.  The full implementation of the right to development could not be time-bound, but must ensure that all people and communities could enjoy sustainable development.  The right to development was an aspiration for equality and mutual respect for every human being, irrespective of gender, race, and socio-economic background.  The operationalisation of the right to development could help surmount the increasing and evolving challenges of debt on sustainability, the food crisis, climate change and the displacement of persons, among others. 

Concluding Remarks

SURYA DEVA, Special Rapporteur on the right to development, thanked all the delegations for their rich comments and questions.  He said the mandate would continue to provide space for discussions in Geneva.  Some key focal points of his work would be on international financial architecture; the relationship between migration and development; and a focus on climate development.  He acknowledged that unilateral coercive measures may impact the right to development in certain situations, and he would work with another Expert to address this issue. 

Mr. Deva said he was meeting with United Nations teams and the High Commissioner to discuss mainstreaming the right to development in policies.  Development should be mainstreamed into everything that United Nations agencies were doing.  The world had plenty of resources; the question was how they could be redistributed and shared.  There needed to be a more holistic approach moving forwards.  There were challenges to participation, including a lack of civic space.  States and other actors needed to understand the importance of civic space, as without it, participation could not happen.  The Sustainable Development Goals provided a pathway to achieve development, but there could be other ways to achieve these goals.  Mr. Deva encouraged States to reach out to him for country visits. 

Presentation of Thematic Reports and Oral Updates by the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner, the Working Group on the Right to Development and the Working Group on the Activities of Private Military and Security Companies

Reports

The Council has before it the Secretary-General’s and High Commissioner’s thematic reports and oral updates, and reports of the Working Group on the Right to Development and of the Working Group on the Activities of Private Military and Security Companies on: Summary of the panel discussion on the negative impact of the legacies of colonialism on the enjoyment of human rights (A/HRC/54/4), Question of the death penalty (A/HRC/54/33), Follow-up report on good practices and challenges in the application of a human rights-based approach to the elimination of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity (A/HRC/54/34), The rights of the child and inclusive social protection (A/HRC/54/36), Views of States and other stakeholders on the target sectors, focus areas or thematic human rights issues for the fifth phase of the World Programme for Human Rights Education (A/HRC/54/37), Right to development (A/HRC/54/38), Rights of Indigenous Peoples (A/HRC/54/39), Report of the Working Group on the Right to Development on its twenty-fourth session (A/HRC/54/40), Regional seminars on the contribution of development to the enjoyment of all human rights (A/HRC/54/43), Summary of the intersessional workshop on the implementation of the right to participate in public affairs in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the post-pandemic recovery (A/HRC/54/44), High-level meeting commemorating the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development (A/HRC/54/45), High-level panel discussion on the question of the death penalty (A/HRC/54/46), Future of the right to work in connection with climate change actions, responses and impacts in the context of sustainable and inclusive economies (A/HRC/54/48), Draft International Covenant on the Right to Development (A/HRC/54/50), Draft International Covenant on the Right to Development, with commentaries (A/HRC/54/50/Add.1), Draft International Covenant on the Right to Development: consideration of comments and textual proposals (A/HRC/54/50/Add.2), Human rights challenges in addressing and countering all aspects of the world drug problem (A/HRC/54/53), and Human rights of migrants (A/HRC/54/81).

Presentation of Reports

ZAMIR AKRAM, Chair-Rapporteur of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development, introducing the Working Group’s report, said the Working Group was established with the mandate to monitor and review progress made in the promotion and implementation of the right to development, to analyse obstacles to its full enjoyment, and to provide recommendations thereon.  It held its twenty-fourth session from 15 to 19 May 2023. The main part of the session was dedicated to the consideration and negotiation of the second revised text of the draft legally binding instrument on the right to development as mandated by the Council.

The majority of States highlighted the need for the convention on the right to development to be finalised for further consideration by the General Assembly, as its early adoption would help in operationalising the right to development.

Some States expressed the view that the Working Group should continue considering the draft convention and emphasised that the provisions of the convention needed to be in line with international human rights standards, while others emphasised the need to define the right to development in the draft convention.  A group of States were not in favour of an international legal standard of a binding nature on the right to development, as they did not believe that this was an appropriate and efficient mechanism to realise sustainable development.  They were of the view that States should concentrate their efforts on the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda, which comprised a wide and comprehensive range of consensual commitments.

Mr. Akram presented the report containing a draft international covenant on the right to development.  In revising the text, he had suggested renaming the final text “draft international covenant on the right to development”, from “draft international convention”, as the change in terminology solemnly emphasised that there was no priority between human rights and that the right to development must be treated on the same footing and with the same emphasis as the two other sets of human rights, as contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.  He recommended to the Council to transmit the draft, together with the commentaries, to the General Assembly and to recommend to the General Assembly, as the appropriate forum, to convene an intergovernmental conference, under the auspices of the United Nations, with the mandate to consider and adopt the international covenant on the right to development as soon as possible.

MXOLISI SIZO NKOSI, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Private Military and Security Companies, introducing the progress report on the fourth session of the Working Group, said ahead of the fourth session, the Chair-Rapporteur released the second draft of an international regulatory framework on the regulation, monitoring and oversight over the activities of private military and security companies.  That revised second draft was at the centre of the discussion which took place during two informal intersessional consultations.  On the basis of input gathered during these consultations, and in line with the way forward agreed to during the third session of the Working Group, the Chair-Rapporteur circulated a revised second draft instrument ahead of the fourth session.  The revised second draft was the basis of the negotiations which took place during the fourth session.

To abide by the resolution's mandate, the approach in the draft presented at the fourth session had continued in a format that could form the basis for both a legally and a non-legally binding outcome, with language options to reflect both approaches.  The progress report on the fourth session took stock of all the work and significant progress the Working Group had achieved until now, moving from mere elements for a draft regulatory framework to four consecutive texts presented and commented on during the intersessional periods or during the Working Group’s sessions.  An extension of the Working Group’s mandate would allow it to continue working toward the elaboration of the content of an international regulatory framework which would result ultimately in strengthening the protection of human rights, access to remedies for victims, and accountability for violations and abuses relating to the activities of private military and security companies.  Effective regulation, oversight and accountability for such companies was more needed than ever in a context of growing reliance on them in both conflict and non-conflict settings.

PEGGY HICKS, Director of the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, introduced 10 written reports of the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights on a range of thematic issues to be considered under agenda item three [the promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development].  The High Commissioner’s report on Preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights (A/HRC/54/34), submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 47/25, outlined good practices and challenges in the application of a human rights-based approach to the elimination of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity area.  To address the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and future health emergencies on women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health, the High Commissioner, among other things, recommended States to integrate a gender-responsive approach with a combination of emergency and long-term measures; to ensure the integration of sexual and reproductive health services into national health policies; and to prioritise high quality sexual and reproductive health services and facilities for women and girls. 

The Secretary-General’s yearly supplement to the quinquennial report on capital punishment and the implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty (A/HRC/54/33), provided a global update on the question of the death penalty for the period from 7 June 2022 to 6 June 2023.  Considerable progress was made towards the abolition of the death penalty during this period, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Despite this positive tendency towards abolition, an increased number of people were executed worldwide, including a significant increase in executions for drug-related offences. 

The Consolidated Secretary-General and High Commissioner report on the right to development (A/HRC/54/38), submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 77/212 and Human Rights Council resolution 51/7, contained an analysis of progress and challenges in the realisation of the right to development in the context of the response to, and the recovery from, the COVID-19 pandemic.  Despite progress in the access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments worldwide, major inequalities in access persisted, particularly for least developed countries. 

The High Commissioner’s annual report on the rights of indigenous peoples (A/HRC/54/39), submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 51/18, covered the period from 1 June 2022 to 31 May 2023.  It set out relevant developments in human rights bodies and mechanisms as well as activities undertaken by the Office, that contributed to the full application of the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  Throughout the reporting period, persistent challenges affected the human rights of indigenous peoples.

The High Commissioner’s summary report on the discussions held at the regional seminars on the contribution of development to the enjoyment of all human rights (A/HRC/54/43), was submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 47/11 in which the Council requested the Office of the High Commissioner to organise a series of regional seminars, one for each of the five geographical regions.  The seminar series called for robust international cooperation and solidarity to ensure that development contributed to the enjoyment of human rights for all. 

The Office’s analytical report on the future of the right to work in connection with climate change actions, responses and impacts in the context of sustainable and inclusive economies (A/HRC/54/48), submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 49/11, was based mainly on the panel discussion on the topic, held on 27 September 2022.  The report concluded, among other things, that climate change was a planetary emergency.  Immediate mitigation measures were needed to safeguard the planet and human rights, including the right to work.  Rights-based climate action required a fundamental restructuring of the energy sector, phasing out fossil fuels and ensuring access to safe and affordable renewable energy.

The High Commissioner’s report on the rights of the child and inclusive social protection (A/HRC/54/36), was submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 49/20, which also mandated the development of a child-friendly version of the report.  Approximately 600 children provided inputs into both reports.  The report highlighted systemic and structural barriers States faced in meeting their human rights obligations and providing universal social protection for all children, particularly those facing intersecting forms of discrimination and in vulnerable situations.  More than 1.77 billion of the 2.4 billion children worldwide had no access to social protection, with significant regional disparities in coverage.

The Office’s report on the implementation of the fourth phase of the World Programme for Human Rights Education (A/HRC/54/37), summarised the views of States and other stakeholders for the fifth phase of the World Programme for Human Rights Education, which would cover the period 2025 to 2029.  A worldwide consultation was launched in March 2023 and as of the 30 June deadline, the Office had received 50 submissions from 53 respondents, including States, intergovernmental organizations, Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council and civil society, among others.  Three key thematic issues stood out, including human rights in the digital space; environmental rights and climate change; and gender equality. 

The High Commissioner’s report on the human rights challenges in addressing and countering all aspects of the world drug problem (A/HRC/54/53), was based on 108 contributions received from Member States, United Nations agencies and civil society, in response to a call for submissions.  The report observed that the main areas of concern in the world drug problem were the lack of and unequal access to treatment and harm reduction, the militarisation of drug control, overincarceration and prison overcrowding, the use of the death penalty for drug-related offences, and the disproportionate impact of punitive drug policies on youth, people of African descent, indigenous peoples, and women. 

The last report of the day was the Secretary-General’s report on the human rights of migrants (A/HRC/54/81), which focused on thematic issues related to the promotion and protection of the human rights of migrants addressed by the General Assembly in its resolution 76/172.  The report highlighted that migration was an age-old human phenomenon which could have positive outcomes for migrants and societies, when migrants were placed at the centre, and the protection of their human rights was ensured.  Migrants continued to face discrimination, anti-migration narratives and other human rights protection gaps throughout their journey. 

General Debate on the Promotion and Protection of All Human Rights, Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, including the Right to Development

In the general debate, some speakers said today there were more than 11.5 million people in prison or in other forms of criminal justice detention globally: all States faced the challenge of the effective social reintegration of persons in detention.  The Nelson Mandela Rules affirmed that duty to society did not end with a prisoner’s release, but further work was required to address this matter under the umbrella of human rights.  All States must design and implement post-release programmes, including in particular for women and girls.  The Human Rights Council and the relevant Special Procedures and treaty bodies could help create global consensus and develop best practices in this context.

The effective realisation of all human rights, including economic, social and cultural rights and civil and political rights, as well as the right to development was supported by a number of speakers.  There was deep concern for the continued de-prioritisation of economic, social and cultural rights in the United Nations system: this trend should be reversed, and existing challenges to the rights of people everywhere should be highlighted, including the right to access to water.  One speaker said the use of unilateral coercive measures impeded the achievement of human rights in some regions.  International cooperation remained relevant for some States.  All States should take this into account.

There was concern for environmental threats due to hazardous waste.  One speaker said challenges affecting people in vulnerable situations and minority groups, trapped in contemporary forms of slavery or suffering the attention of private military groups, must be addressed.  Private military and security groups must be regulated and there must be redress for victims.  Protecting children was essential for ending the cycles of violence and ensuring lasting peace.

The foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world rested on upholding civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.  This could be achieved by adherence to the core principles of impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity.  It was vital to underscore the special significance of the United Nations Charter and the principles of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character.  Denial of the singular right of self-determination opened the door to denial of several other interconnected rights.

Attempts to demonise the legitimate actions of people under foreign occupation to realise their right to self-determination, often under the bogey of terrorism, must not be allowed, and there must be a peaceful settlement of internationally recognised disputes, in accordance with international law, to ensure the realisation of the human rights of the affected populations.

Women with disabilities were equal members of the human family: the global cause of women’s equality and empowerment had advanced significantly, but women with disabilities faced discrimination and poverty.  Since the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities came into force, this issue had become ever more visible.  There must be a raised awareness of social inclusion, and the international community must achieve the recommendations of the Beijing Platform for Action.  There should be a multi-tiered social system for persons with disabilities in order to help women with disabilities to better achieve social integration.  An inclusive, accessible society needed to be built, with good use made of modern technologies to allow women with disabilities to enjoy different ways of social interaction. 

Immunisation was a crucial part of the achievement of the highest standard of health, vital to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal eight.  The tragic reality remained that 1.5 million lives were lost each year due to lack of vaccination, and many children were under-vaccinated.  The pandemic had shown the primary responsibility of States as duty-bearers to ensure vaccination.  States must enhance solidarity and cooperation in order to ensure that everyone, everywhere, at every age, fully benefited from vaccines.  Targeted action plans should target those diseases that most threatened a healthy future, ensuring a safe, secure, stable and prosperous world.

The right to life was fundamental to the enjoyment of all other rights, a speaker said.  Every year, the world did not become safer: the most dangerous threat to humanity, nuclear war, had not gone away, and the nuclear taboo had been dramatically weakened.  The threat or use of nuclear weapons was incompatible with the right to life and might be in violation of international law.  It also violated, among others, the right to a safe and healthy environment.  Today, a number of environmental problems faced those areas of the world where nuclear tests had been carried out, disproportionately affecting women and girls.  The nuclear taboo needed to be strengthened, and nuclear disarmament must be achieved through collective determination.

The right to the highest attainable standard of health applied equally in the context of drug laws, policies and practices, and included access to harm reduction services and drug dependence treatment.  However, it was noted with great concern that the demand for treating drug-related disorders as well as access to internationally controlled medicines remained largely unmet and that people who used drugs were still disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS.  There was further concern over the use of death sentences over drug-related offenses since the death penalty should strictly be limited to the “most serious crimes” in States that had not yet abolished it.  As stressed additionally by the Secretary-General, there was no evidence that the death penalty deterred drug-related crimes more than other methods of punishment or that it affected crime reduction.  Further, the punitive characteristics of the “war on drugs” had grave implications and disproportionate impacts on specific groups, namely young people, people of African descent, indigenous peoples and women.  States should implement the recommendations in the report in this context, a speaker urged.

An estimated 160 million children were in child labour, nearly half of whom - 79 million children – were in hazardous work, while 70 per cent of child labour took place in agriculture.  Around 50 million people were caught in the grip of modern slavery, of which almost 28 million people were in forced labour, with children accounting for 12 per cent of all those in forced labour.  There must be engagement and coordination at global and national levels to drive progress and ensure the protection, promotion and fulfilment of the human rights of children and people that suffered any form of modern slavery or forced labour.  All governments should take urgent action to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, including by increasing financial and international cooperation, expanding social protection, and making decent work a reality for adults and youth above the minimum age for work.

Together, the world could move forward and not only continue to keep a global spotlight on these issues but also increasingly convene those who could and must play a role – at both the political level and in action on the ground – so that an end could be made to these fundamental violations of human rights.

The realisation and enjoyment of the right to development was most urgent, especially as the sustained and historical economic and social inequalities between countries of the Global South and the Global North continued to expand, a speaker said, noting that such inequalities required reaffirming more than ever the transcendence of the right to development.  Perhaps one of the most illustrative examples of such a supremacist mindset was the illegal imposition of unilateral coercive measures, which not only violated the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, as well as the norms of international law, but also posed an obstacle to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, while representing a deliberate attack on the right to development of over one-third of humanity, as their ulterior objective was to cause pain and suffering as a means for advancing agendas of dubious nature.  None should ignore the importance and urgency of lifting all unilateral coercive measures.

 

Link: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/meeting-summary/2023/09/le-conseil-est-prie-de-transmettre-le-projet-de-pacte

 

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