25 Years of the Right to Development:
Achievements and Challenges

Background

“The Right to Development is an inalienable human right by virtue of which every human person and all peoples are entitled to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized.” (Article 1, Declaration on the Right to Development).

On 24-25 February 2011, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) convened an expert meeting to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development (RtD) and to examine the progress made in the realization of this right since then.

The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on relevant substantial and legal issues and to consider the future of the right to development. It also raised public awareness and advocated the importance of the right to development for the many challenges that the international community is facing in today’s world.

Conference Agenda

The event was composed of two segments:

A public panel discussion on the late afternoon of Thursday, 24th and an expert consultation on Friday, 25th of February, both having been held at the FES conference hall in Berlin.

Conference language was English.
Simultaneous translation German/ English was offered for the public debate on Thursday, 24 February 2011.

The conference was conducted under the Chatham House Rule.

Open the draft programme

- Participation on invitation only -

Public Panel Discussion

The public panel discussion
"25 Years of the Right to Development"
took place on Thursday, 24 February 2011 from 17:30-20:00 hrs at theFES conference hall in Berlin.

Taking center stage of the public event on February 24th was the keynote address of Navanethem Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, followed by a panel discussion with further speakers and German participation.

A video podcast summarizing the main conclusions of the discussion can be watched or downloaded here:

Watch The Video Podcast (on youtube.com, requires Adobe Flash Player plug-in)

Download the video - PART 1 ( .mp4)

Download the video - PART 2 ( .mp4)

Look at the picture gallery of the public panel discussion

Read the High Commissioner's keynote address

Read the programme (in German)

Conference Documentation

Presentations and Panel Inputs
open presentation on the RtD's practical relevance by Ruth Charo

open presentation on global partnerships for development by Sakiko Fukuda-Parr

open presentation on specific projects illustrating the RtD's practical relevance by Sophie Logez

open presentation and speaking notes on the Endorois case by Clara Clarke

open presentation on the relationship between climate change and the RtD by Marcos Orellana

open presentation on the link between Rtd and UN human rights mechanisms by Susan Matthews

open concluding remarks by Vitit Muntarbhorn

 

Rotating Discussion (read some background information on the method)

Table 1: What international enabling environment is needed for the realization of the right to development?

open background paper by Aldo Caliari

open summary of Rapporteur Theo Rathgeber

Table 2: What national enabling environment is needed for the realization of the right to development?

open background paper by Rajeev Malhotra

open summary of Rapporteur Hendrik Garcia

Table 3: What is the collective responsibility of states, acting in global and regional partnerships, for the creation of an enabling environment?

open background paper by Flavia Piovesan

open summary of Rapporteur Koen De Feyter

Table 4: Does the clarification of the “core norm” of the right to development proposed by the High Level Task Force, as the “right of peoples and individuals to the constant improvement of their well-being and to a national and global enabling environment conducive to just, equitable, participatory and human-centred development respectful of all human rights” (A/HRC/15/WG.2/TF/Add.2) respond to the criticism that RTD is too vague and, how can it be improved?

open background paper by Margot E. Salomon

open summary of Rapporteur Virginia Bras Gomes

Table 5: What next steps are required to advance the RtD agenda? What are the prospects for the political acceptability of different options?

open background paper by Nico Schrijver

open summary of Rapporteur Irene Hadiprayitno

 

Further Documentation

look at the photo gallery of the expert meeting