The right to development: A blueprint for unfulfilled promises

What you need to know:

• This Declaration opened a new path in the universal struggle to promote human dignity, freedom, equality and justice when the UN General Assembly adopted it in 1986.
• This declaration could help set boundaries on issues ranging from AI to internet access, as well as speed up implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda
• A legally binding agreement on development rights has been in place since 2018

Watch live on UN Web TV:

What is the declaration?

Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1986, it makes access to development an inalienable right.

Even though there is a legally binding agreement in the works since 2018, the declaration states that everyone is “has the right to participate, contribute to and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized”.

This declaration firmly places society at the center of the development process.

Read the full declaration Here.

‘Call to action’

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told world leaders that the anniversary of the declaration was more than just a moment of reflection, “It is a call to action.”

For millions of people around the world, the promises made in the declaration remain unfulfilled we know how to make it real,” he said, pointing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that “providing a blueprint so that no one is left behind”.

Under Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, the 17 SDGs contain goals and targets that lift people out of poverty and protect their rights.

Progress since the adoption of this declaration was driven by the foresight, dedication and resilience of countries, communities and activists of all ages, he said.

Extreme poverty has fallen drasticallynearly half the world is now covered by some form of social protection, people live longer and scientific and Technological advances have changed life and livelihoods and expanding opportunities, he said.

A new test awaits

But today, the promise of development faces new tests, Guterres said, from widening disparities and persistent food insecurity to rising debt, conflict and economic instability that hamper development and economic growth.

In addition, the climate crisis reaches very severe levels every year, reminding the world that there will be no development if the earth is degraded and unhealthy.

While the digital revolution and artificial intelligence have enormous potential to improve lives, these frontier technologies can also be a driver of exclusion and division.

“The declaration firmly establishes development as a right and places the community at the center of the development process,” he said.

“Development, human rights and peace are not separate ambitions. They advance together. In today’s divided world, this vision can still unite us, and the Sustainable Development Goals are the roadmap that gets us there..”

Read our explanation of the right to development Here.

What does community-centered development look like?

UN agencies have long integrated human rights into projects around the world.

The right to development also applies to those experiencing humanitarian crises and beyond – from war zones to disaster relief.

Here’s what it means to put people first:

• Colombia: Indigenous Community Groups have participate in the South American peace treaty
• Gaza: Female engineers are turning e-waste into opportunity
• Nepal: Deadly floods in August wiped out communities that are now recovering and building back better, with support from UN agencies
• Morocco: Vocational training programs are help women launched income-generating activities in Morocco
• South Sudan: UN peacekeepers build reservoirs to accommodate communities fighting over scarce water resources
• Venezuela: UN agencies partner to respond to deadly double earthquakes in June