Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development Opens Fourteenth Session, Begins General Debate
The Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development this morning opened its fourteenth session, hearing statements by the Chair of the Mechanism, the Vice-President of the Human Rights Council and the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Expert Mechanism then began a general debate.
Juana María Ibáñez Rivas, Chairperson of the Expert Mechanism, opening the session, said the mandate of the Expert Mechanism was to provide the Human Rights Council with thematic expertise on the right to development, to search for, identify and share best practices, and to promote the implementation of this right worldwide. Forty years after the Declaration on the Right to Development, this session was an opportunity to ask what that implementation required today.
Tsegab Kebebew Daka, Vice-President of the Human Rights Council and Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said this anniversary reminded all of the urgent need to strive for greater acceptance, operationalisation, the realisation of the right to development at the international level, and to encourage movement from commitment to implementation. The Council requested the Expert Mechanism to continue paying particular attention to the international dimension of the right to development, and to how this aspect would make its practical implementation effective at the international, regional and national levels.
Awa Dabo, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said developing countries faced mounting pressure on development financing: debt service burdens had hit a 20-year high, while official development assistance fell by almost a quarter in 2025. The themes before the Mechanism went to the heart of today’s most pressing challenges. Together, they brought all back to the Declaration’s promise: participation in decisions, a fair share of development’s benefits, and cooperation to remove obstacles. On each theme, the right to development pointed the way forward.
After the Mechanism adopted its agenda and programme of work, new members Xiaohui Liang, Brian Keane, Ramona Biholar, and Serges Alain Djoyou Kamga addressed the meeting.
The Mechanism then moved on to a general debate, during which speakers said the realisation of the right to development was rooted in the universal, indivisible, interrelated, interdependent and mutually reinforcing nature of all human rights, which meant that the right to development was equal to all other human rights and must be universally realised without a hierarchy among these rights. In this milestone year, the mandate of the Expert Mechanism provided a path for the development of the multilateral system, with the human being placed at the heart of the development process.
Systemic imbalances and overlapping global crises continued to impede the realisation of the right, with rapid technological development bringing both new opportunities and new challenges. The right to development must guide the collective response to global transitions, providing an unconditional climate to the achievement of the right by all. All individuals were entitled to benefit from development, and the anniversary must be a renewed commitment to translating the Declaration into tangible progress in people’s lives; however, it continued to face consistent structural challenges, including unsustainable debt burdens, food insecurity, the adverse impact of climate change and conflict, and illicit financial flows. The right to development required a comprehensive and balanced approach placing people at the centre in a context of international cooperation.
Speaking in the general debate were the representatives of the European Union, Venezuela, Brazil, Eritrea, Belarus, Ethiopia, China, Ecuador, Indonesia, Iraq, Russian Federation, Mexico, India, Spain, Pakistan, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Lesotho, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran and Cuba. The Organization of the Islamic Conference also took the floor.
Also speaking were APG23 on behalf of a number of organizations, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, International Service for Human Rights, South-East Asia Sexual Orientation, Gender Expression and Identity Caucus, and Indian Council of South America.
The Expert Mechanism on the Right to the Development is a subsidiary body of the Human Rights Council established in 2019 under resolution 42/23. It provides the Council with thematic expertise on the right to development in searching for, identifying and sharing best practices with Member States and promotes the implementation of the right to development worldwide.
Summaries of the public meetings of the fourteenth session of the Expert Mechanism can be found here, while webcasts can be found here. The programme of work of the Expert Mechanism’s fourteenth session and other documents related to the session can be found here.
The next meeting of the Expert Mechanism will be at 3 p.m. on Monday, 26 October 2026, when it will hear the presentation of a thematic study on peace and security and the right to development, to be followed by a discussion. The general debate will continue on Wednesday, 28 October at 3 p.m.
Opening Statements
JUANA MARÍA IBÁÑEZ RIVAS, Chairperson of the Expert Mechanism, opening the session, said this session took place in the year that marked the fortieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development. Marking that anniversary was its overall theme. It was also the first session of the Expert Mechanism in its new composition, and she welcomed the new colleagues. The mandate of the Expert Mechanism was to provide the Human Rights Council with thematic expertise on the right to development, to search for, identify and share best practices, and to promote the implementation of this right worldwide. Forty years after the Declaration, this session was an opportunity to ask what that implementation required today.
TSEGAB KEBEBEW DAKA, Vice-President of the Human Rights Council and Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said this year marked the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development. This anniversary reminded all of the urgent need to strive for greater acceptance, operationalisation, the realisation of the right to development at the international level, and to encourage movement from commitment to implementation.
During its sixty-third session, the Human Rights Council held an interactive dialogue with the Chair of the Expert Mechanism, who presented its annual report and two thematic studies. During that dialogue, delegations widely appreciated the work of the Expert Mechanism and engaged substantively on both studies. Many stressed that climate finance must be adequate, predictable and accessible, and should complement rather than replace development finance or add to the debt burdens of developing countries. On artificial intelligence, many emphasised the need for international cooperation, technology transfer and capacity building, so that developing countries could benefit from these technologies rather than become more dependent on them.
At the end of that session, the Council adopted its most recent resolution on the right to development, through which it reaffirmed its commitment to integrate the right to development into its own work, and that of its mechanisms, in a systematic and transparent manner. The Council requested the Expert Mechanism to continue paying particular attention to the international dimension of the right to development, and to how this aspect would make its practical implementation effective at the international, regional and national levels.
The Council was aware that the liquidity situation of the United Nations had prevented the Expert Mechanism from carrying out country study visits, attending international conferences and inviting expert guests to its sessions. In this regard, the Council urged the Office of the High Commissioner to ensure a balanced, efficient and visible allocation of financial and human resources to the mechanisms on the right to development, including this Expert Mechanism.
AWA DABO, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that over the last four decades, there had been progress in development outcomes: extreme poverty had fallen dramatically, nearly half the world was now covered by some form of social protection, and people were living longer. New technologies had brought services and opportunities within reach of many. But for hundreds of millions of people, the promise was slipping away. Developing countries faced mounting pressure on development financing: debt service burdens had hit a 20-year high, while official development assistance fell by almost a quarter in 2025. Meanwhile, global military spending had risen for 11 consecutive years to approximately 2.8 trillion dollars, which was eight times what it would cost to end extreme poverty. The issue was not money. It was about priorities.
This anniversary had brought the right to development renewed attention and momentum. Last month, leaders gathered for a high-level segment of the General Assembly, where the Secretary-General reminded all that development, human rights and peace were not separate ambitions. This renewed momentum must be turned into practical action to fulfil the Declaration’s promise - before the anniversary date and long after it.
Since its first session, the Mechanism had been turning the Declaration's principles into practical guidance. The themes before the Mechanism went to the heart of today’s most pressing challenges. Together, they brought all back to the Declaration’s promise: participation in decisions, a fair share of development’s benefits, and cooperation to remove obstacles. On each theme, the right to development pointed the way forward. The right to development provided the basis for the work on human rights economies: helping States put people before profit, and dignity before debt. The Office of the High Commissioner would continue to support this Mechanism, and bring its recommendations into its work with States and other stakeholders.
Adoption of the Agenda and Programme of Work of the Session
The Expert Mechanism then adopted the agenda and the programme of work for the session.
Statements by the New Members of the Expert Mechanism
XIAOHUI LIANG, Vice-Chair of the Expert Mechanism, said over the past two decades he had worked in the field of human rights. Economic actors could contribute to the greater social good by respecting the human rights of all, including marginalised individuals and communities. Over the past years, the right to development had been integrated into many international negotiations, helping to advance its implementation. However, many challenges continued to impede the realisation of the right, including rapid technology transformation, which risked widening existing inequalities. Combatting this remained therefore an urgent challenge for the international community.
BRIAN KEANE, Member of the Expert Mechanism, said it was good to see Member States, civil society and academia present, as all their voices were important to the process of moving forward the right to development. Development models and processes were needed to move forward to address the rights of those who most required the enjoyment of the right to development. Development needed to move forward to be something that was realised by communities, not given to them. Development imposed from above could have disastrous effects, destroying livelihoods and causing forced relocation. The Expert Mechanism played an important role in bridging that gap: development impacted all other human rights.
RAMONA BIHOLAR, Member of the Expert Mechanism, said she wished to stress the importance of both the individual and collective dimensions of the right to development, placing a central commitment on the continuous improvement of the lives of individuals and peoples. Furthermore, the right was a decolonial, reparatory, and profoundly transformative right. Translating these principles into practice required paying close attention to climate justice and participatory governance, promoting equality of opportunity and the meaningful participation of women and indigenous peoples, intentionally including those most marginalised, addressing the continuing effects of historical injustices, and advancing accountability in development decision-making at both national and international levels. The purpose of the Expert Mechanism’s work was to help give effect to this vision.
SERGES ALAIN DJOYOU KAMGA, Member of the Expert Mechanism, said the right to development was a very important human right: it was the basic human right, as without it, the human condition could not be changed. It enabled the very poor to be included in the development process; it was the right that led to the enjoyment of the human potential. Critical minerals were key to access to the right to development, and this would be examined by the Expert Mechanism. Countries with emerging economies had critical minerals, but these countries had the poorest people, and that was the paradox. Experts alone could not advance the situation - the Mechanism would rely on all stakeholders to share their views.
General Debate
Speakers then reiterated their firm commitment to the implementation of the 2034 Agenda and the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals, stating that they remained committed to the elimination of poverty, which was often marked by multiple violations of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, and continuing efforts to fight inequalities and to achieve sustainable and inclusive development, in a way that promoted respect, protection and fulfilment of all human rights, without discrimination on any ground.
The realisation of the right to development was rooted in the universal, indivisible, interrelated, interdependent and mutually reinforcing nature of all human rights, which meant that the right to development was equal to all other human rights and must be universally realised without a hierarchy among these rights. The realisation of the right to development could not be seen purely through one single lens, nor could it be considered or interpreted as a pre-condition for the fulfilment of other human rights.
Development was not a privilege, but there was a significant gap between its recognition and realisation due to structural inequalities in the international situation. The right should not just be a programme ambition whose realisation could be endlessly postponed, one speaker said. Realising this right required effective coordination between national responsibilities and international commitments: States had the primary duty to promote the situation of their peoples, and therefore international cooperation was a shared responsibility for overcoming the repercussions of unilateral coercive mechanisms.
The draft covenant on the right to development was a step forward. Speakers said that a legally-binding instrument would help to advance the achievement of the right, and this was particularly urgent given current challenges that required multilateral responses to address the urgent needs in developing countries where inequalities risked being exacerbated. Peace and development were joint and symbiotic objectives. For the instrument to reach its potential, it must adopt an intersectional perspective and gain cross-sectoral support. Constructive good faith must be the basis of the negotiations on the text, aiming to embed the right to development into global trade rules, addressing the conditions that systematically undermined national economic space.
In this milestone year, the mandate of the Expert Mechanism provided a path for the development of the multilateral system, with the human being placed at the heart of the development process. Systemic imbalances and overlapping global crises continued to impede the realisation of the right, with rapid technological development bringing both new opportunities and new challenges. Wealth generated locally must serve domestic development opportunities. The world produced enough food to feed all, but failed to feed many, thus showing up the dichotomy of the system.
The relationship between peace and development must be explored: sustainable peace could not exist alongside poverty and economic insecurity. The right to development must guide the collective response to global transitions, providing an unconditional climate to the achievement of the right by all. It was fundamentally about addressing deep-rooted, historical injustices, and reflected the aspirations for greater equality, autonomy and access to justice which had often been lacking, to their detriment, in developing countries.
Speakers said that the 1986 Declaration underscored that each individual enjoyed the right to development, but the conditions to ensure this needed to be fostered through various means, including social programmes. All individuals were entitled to benefit from development, and the anniversary must be a renewed commitment to translating the Declaration into tangible progress in people’s lives; however, it continued to face consistent structural challenges, including unsustainable debt burdens, food insecurity, the adverse impact of climate change and conflict, and illicit financial flows. The right to development required a comprehensive and balanced approach placing people at the centre in a context of international cooperation.
Developing countries must have the finances and partnerships to pursue their development objectives, speakers said. The implementation of the Declaration required adequate resources: enhanced international financial transparency and stronger measures to prevent illicit financial flows would assist in this regard. International cooperation should complement national efforts, rather than leaving developing countries to achieve the right alone. The Expert Mechanism should investigate practical barriers to achieving the right to development, including stronger national implementation frameworks.
There must be a turning point from commitment to implementation, with all stakeholders working towards the realisation of the right, one speaker said. Every nation must have an opportunity to develop in dignity, ensuring no person was left behind, and all human rights and fundamental freedoms could be realised. The international community must work to make the pie of development bigger, consolidating its foundations. The right to food for all would be an effective first step; and yet peace remained the foundation to development. All parties must resolve differences through dialogue and consultations, upholding multilateralism and ensuring an enabling environment.
Inequalities continued to deepen. Addressing the inequalities in education experiences by children was essential in remedying these and ensuring their future enjoyment of the right to development, which must not be a privilege for the few. The debt burden and the imbalanced rules of trade and financing weakened the ability of Member States to implement their development policies. There must be cooperation between States, without prejudice to national commitments, to ensure further progress. Illicit financial flows deprived countries of direly needed finances, and assets must be repatriated.
Water scarcity and climate change threatened food security, and international cooperation was needed to manage water resources. The right to development was not separate from the right to self-determination. The human person was the central subject of the development process. Full realisation of this both individual and collective right directly affected the implementation of all human rights and also affected the rights of both individuals and countries. Today, the right faced unprecedented challenges, with certain countries exploiting instruments of geopolitical pressure and economic blackmail, an interference into the sovereignty of States.
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