The Right to Development

A/RES/78/203View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 71b Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, published in 2023.

What else is in this group?

48 documents · 2000–2025

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

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2025	A/RES/80/207	The right to development	5,093	–
2025	A/HRC/RES/60/7	The right to development	3,357	–
2024	A/RES/79/170	The right to development	5,367	–
2024	A/HRC/RES/57/19	The right to development	3,234	–
2023	A/RES/78/203	The right to development	5,502	–

This group bundles related documents that are not individually ordered.

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

1 report · 2024

Year	Symbol	Title		Mandate resolution
2024	A/HRC/57/24	Right to development report of the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights		A/RES/78/203

What subjects does this mandate have?

4 subjects

Covid-19 Human Rights Advancement Recovery Right to Development

What’s in this document?

57 operative paragraphs

Takes note of the consolidated report of the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning the promotion and realization of the right to development;¹⁵

¹⁵A/HRC/54/38.

Acknowledges the need to strive for greater acceptance, operationalization and realization of the right to development at the international level while urging all States to undertake at the national level the necessary policy formulation and to institute the measures required for the implementation of the right to development as an integral part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms;

Emphasizes the relevant provisions of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006 establishing the Human Rights Council, and in this regard calls upon the Council to implement the agreement to continue to act to ensure that its agenda promotes and advances sustainable development, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which seeks to build on the Millennium Development Goals and complete what they did not achieve, and also in this regard to lead the raising of the right to development, as set out in paragraphs 5 and 10 of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, to the same level as and on a par with all other human rights and fundamental freedoms;

Supports the realization of the mandate of the Working Group on the Right to Development,¹⁶ and recognizes the need for renewed efforts with a view to overcoming the existing political impasse within the Working Group and to fulfil at the earliest its mandate as established by the Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 1998/72 and the Human Rights Council in its resolution 4/4 of 30 March 2007;¹⁷

¹⁶See Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-third Session, Supplement No. 53A (A/63/53/Add.1), chap. I.

¹⁷Ibid., Sixty-second Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/62/53), chap. III, sect. A.

Stresses the importance of the core principles contained in the conclusions of the Working Group at its third session¹⁸ that are 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 national and international levels, and underlines the importance of the principles of equity and transparency;

¹⁸See E/CN.4/2002/28/Rev.1, sect. VIII.A.

Takes note of the report of the Working Group on its twenty-second and twenty-third sessions;¹⁹

¹⁹A/HRC/51/38 and A/HRC/51/39.

Takes note, in this regard, that through its resolution 54/18 of 12 October 2023,²⁰ the Human Rights Council submitted to the General Assembly the draft international covenant on the right to development for its consideration, negotiation and subsequent adoption;

²⁰Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-eighth Session, Supplement No. 53A (A/78/53/Add.1), chap. II.

Notes the presentation to the Working Group at its nineteenth session of the set of standards for the implementation of the right to development prepared by the Chair-Rapporteur,²¹ which is a useful basis for further deliberations on the implementation and realization of the right to development;

²¹A/HRC/WG.2/17/2.

Calls upon Member States to contribute to the efforts of the Working Group, including, inter alia, on the elaboration of a draft legally binding instrument on the right to development on the basis of the draft prepared by the Chair-Rapporteur, as decided by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 42/23 of 27 September 2019,²² and in this regard notes the report of the Chair-Rapporteur entitled “Draft convention on the right to development”,²³ submitted to the Working Group at its twenty-first session;

²²See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-fourth Session, Supplement No. 53A (A/74/53/Add.1), chap. III.

²³A/HRC/WG.2/21/2.

Stresses that it is important that the Chair-Rapporteur and the Working Group, in the discharge of their mandates, take into account the need:

To promote the democratization of the system of international governance in order to increase the effective participation of developing countries in international decision-making;

To also promote effective partnerships such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and other similar initiatives with the developing countries, particularly the least developed countries, for the purpose of the realization of their right to development, including the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals;

To strive for greater acceptance, operationalization and realization of the right to development at the international level, while urging all States to undertake at the national level the necessary policy formulation and to institute the measures required for the implementation of the right to development as an integral part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, and also while urging all States to expand and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in ensuring development and eliminating obstacles to development in the context of promoting effective international cooperation for the realization of the right to development, bearing in mind that lasting progress towards the implementation of the right to development requires effective development policies at the national level and a favourable economic environment at the international level;

To consider ways and means to continue to ensure the operationalization of the right to development as a priority, including in the context of the response to and the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, through equitable and fair access for all countries, particularly the most vulnerable countries and countries in special situations, to vaccines and medicines as global public goods, sharing the benefits of scientific progress, financial and technological support and debt relief;

To mainstream the right to development into the policies and operational activities of the specialized agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system, as well as in the policies and strategies of the international financial and multilateral trading systems, bearing in mind in this regard that the core principles of the international economic, commercial and financial spheres, such as equity, non-discrimination, transparency, accountability, participation and international cooperation, including effective partnerships for development, are indispensable in achieving the right to development and preventing discriminatory treatment arising from political or other non-economic considerations in addressing the issues of concern to the developing countries;

Encourages the Human Rights Council to continue to consider how to ensure follow-up to the work of the former Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights on the right to development, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights and in compliance with decisions to be taken by the Council;

Takes note of the convening, in 2023, of the seventh and eighth sessions of the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development, established by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 42/23, and noting the annual report of the Expert Mechanism;²⁴

²⁴A/HRC/54/41.

Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on the right to development,²⁵ in which the Special Rapporteur examines the role of business in realizing this right;

²⁵A/78/160.

Stresses that South-South cooperation is not a substitute for, but rather a complement to, North-South cooperation and hence should not result in a reduction of North-South cooperation or hamper progress in fulfilling existing official development assistance commitments, and encourages Member States and other relevant stakeholders to incorporate the right to development into the design, financing and implementation of cooperation processes;

Urges Member States, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and other relevant specialized agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system to provide the Special Rapporteur on the right to development with all the assistance and support necessary for the fulfilment of his mandate;

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 out in those outcome documents;

Also reaffirms that the realization of the right to development is essential to the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, 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, a lack of development may not be invoked to justify the abridgement of internationally recognized human rights;

Further reaffirms that development contributes significantly to the enjoyment of all human rights by all, and calls upon all countries to realize people-centred development of the people, by the people and for the people;

Calls upon all States to spare no effort in promoting and protecting all human rights for all, including the right to development, in particular while implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and responding to and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, as it is conducive to the overall enjoyment of human rights;

Stresses that the primary 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 the primary responsibility of States to create national and international conditions favourable to the realization of the right to development, as well as their commitment to cooperate with one another to that end;

Also reaffirms its commitment to international cooperation and multilateralism and its strong support for the central role of the United Nations system in the global response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic;

Further reaffirms its resolution 74/274 of 20 April 2020, in which it recognized the importance of international cooperation and effective multilateralism in helping to ensure that all States have in place effective national protective measures, access to and flow of vital medical supplies, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines, in order to minimize negative effects in all affected States and to avoid relapses of the COVID-19 pandemic;

Calls upon Member States and relevant stakeholders to strengthen international cooperation, as well as their support for multilateral efforts and for the central role of the United Nations system, in order to mobilize a coordinated global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its adverse social, economic and financial impact on all societies that contributes to the realization of the right to development and leaves no one behind;

Expresses concern about the increasing cases of human rights violations and abuses by some transnational corporations and other business enterprises, underlines the need to ensure that appropriate protection, justice and remedies are provided to the victims of human rights violations and abuses resulting from their activities, and underscores the fact that these entities must contribute to the means of implementation for the realization of the right to development;

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

Emphasizes the critical importance of identifying and analysing obstacles impeding the full realization of the right to development at both the national and international levels, including in the context of the response to and the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic;

Reaffirms 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, 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, and recognizes that globalization has brought disparities between and within countries and that issues such as trade and trade liberalization, the transfer of technology, infrastructure development and market access should be managed effectively in order to mitigate the challenges of poverty and underdevelopment and to make the right to development a reality for everyone;

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

Expresses its deep concern, in this regard, about the negative impact on the realization of the right to development owing to the further aggravation of the economic and social situation, in particular of developing countries, as a result of the effects of international energy, food and financial crises, as well as the increasing challenges posed by global climate change and the loss of biodiversity, which have increased vulnerabilities and inequalities and have adversely affected development gains, in particular in developing countries;

Encourages Member States to give particular consideration to the right to development in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and emphasizes that the 2030 Agenda promotes respect for all human rights, including the right to development;

Recalls the commitment in the United Nations Millennium Declaration of halving the number of people living in poverty by 2015, notes with concern that some developing countries have failed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and in this regard invites Member States and the international community to take proactive measures aimed at creating a conducive environment to contribute to the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular increasing international cooperation, including partnership and commitment, between developed and developing countries towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals;

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 the 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 the sectors of agriculture, services and non-agricultural products, in particular those of interest to developing countries;

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

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 for good governance and for broadening the base of decision-making at the international level on issues of development concern and the need to fill organizational gaps, as well as to strengthen the United Nations system and other multilateral institutions, and also stresses the need to broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries and countries with economies in transition in international economic decision-making and norm-setting;

Also recognizes 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;

Further recognizes 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 the education of women 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 promotion and protection of those rights, especially in areas relating to health, education and the full development of their capacities;

Recalls the Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS: Ending Inequalities and Getting on Track to End AIDS by 2030, adopted on 8 June 2021 at the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on HIV and AIDS,²⁶ and underscores the importance of enhanced international cooperation to support the efforts of Member States to achieve health goals, including the target of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030, implement universal access to health-care services and address health challenges;

²⁶Resolution 75/284, annex.

Also recalls the political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases,²⁷ adopted on 10 October 2018, as well as the political declarations of the second high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the fight against tuberculosis²⁸ and the General Assembly high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response,²⁹ both adopted on 5 October 2023, with their particular focus on development and other challenges and social and economic determinants and impacts, particularly for developing countries;

²⁷Resolution 73/2.

²⁸Resolution 78/5, annex.

²⁹Resolution 78/3, annex.

Further recalls the political declaration of the second high-level meeting of the General Assembly on universal health coverage,³⁰ adopted on 5 October 2023, in which it was reaffirmed that health is a precondition for and an outcome and indicator of the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;

³⁰Resolution 78/4, annex.

Recalls the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,³¹ which entered into force on 3 May 2008, and General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, and, while recognizing persons with disabilities as agents and beneficiaries of development, stresses the need to take into consideration the rights of persons with disabilities and the importance of international cooperation in support of national efforts in the realization of the right to development;

³¹United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2515, No. 44910.

Stresses its commitment to Indigenous Peoples in the process of the realization of the right to development, reaffirms the commitment to promote their rights in the areas of education, employment, vocational training and retraining, housing, sanitation, health and social security, in accordance with recognized international human rights obligations and taking into account, as appropriate, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 61/295 of 13 September 2007, and in this regard recalls the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, held in 2014;

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 corporate social responsibility;

Emphasizes the urgent need to take concrete and effective measures to prevent, combat and criminalize all forms of corruption at all 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, consistent with the principles of the United Nations Convention against Corruption,³² particularly chapter V thereof, 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 Convention as soon as possible and States parties to implement it effectively;

³²Ibid., vol. 2349, No. 42146.

Also 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 by ensuring the effective use of the financial and human resources necessary to fulfil its mandate, and calls upon the Secretary-General to provide the Office with the necessary resources;

Reaffirms the request to the High Commissioner, in mainstreaming the right to development, to effectively undertake activities aimed at strengthening the global partnership for development among Member States, development agencies and the international development, financial and trade institutions and to reflect those activities in detail in his next report to the Human Rights Council;

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

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

Encourages relevant bodies of the United Nations system, within their respective mandates, including the specialized agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system, relevant international organizations, including the World Trade Organization, and relevant stakeholders, including civil society organizations, to give due consideration to the right to development in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to contribute further to the work of the Working Group on the Right to Development and the Special Rapporteur on the right to development and to cooperate with the High Commissioner in the fulfilment of his mandate with regard to the implementation of the right to development;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session and an interim report to the Human Rights Council on the implementation of the present resolution, including on efforts undertaken at the national, regional and international levels in the promotion and realization of the right to development, taking into account the context of the response to and the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the reform of the international financial architecture, and invites the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group and the Special Rapporteur to present an oral report with a similar scope and to engage in an interactive dialogue with the Assembly at its seventy-ninth session.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

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