thirty years ago the international
community came together to debate the
challenges affecting our world
until then development had been equated
with economic growth only in 1986 the UN
General Assembly adopted the Declaration
on the right to development
this declaration defines development as
an economic social cultural and
political process aimed at the constant
improvement and well-being of the entire
population
it made development the right of all
individuals and people's called for
active free and meaningful participation
in development and fair distribution of
its benefits it rejected foreign
domination racism discrimination and all
violations of human rights
it entrusted States with a duty to
direct development for the well-being of
all people and called on them to work
together the declaration supported peace
and disarmament people's right to
self-determination and sovereignty over
their natural wealth and resources
states have not always respected human
rights in
decisions this has impaired development
and contributed to growing inequalities
it has led to decisions that have denied
basic rights such as food water and
sanitation adequate housing education
and health people have been evicted and
forcibly resettled from their lands in
the name of development the most
vulnerable and marginalized populations
bear the brunt of development policies
gone wrong today the richest 62
individuals in the world possessed the
same wealth as 3.6 billion others the
poorer half of humanity while some have
plenty millions of men women and
children are deprived of their rights
and forced to risk their lives in search
of hope and dignity in distant places
climate change directly impacts human
lives and well-being denying people the
right to access resources extreme
weather patterns threaten many
communities and for many small island
developing States even their very
existence today 700 million people and
living in extreme poverty with less than
one dollar 90 cents a day to cover all
their needs
corruption bites into development games
and developing countries lose at least
170 billion US dollars in tax revenues
each year because of rich individuals
and multinational companies hide money
in tax havens and fair trade barriers
generate and sharpen inequality poor
countries deprived of funds cannot
provide health care good education and
basic needs to all their people eleven
children under the age of five die every
minute and thirty-three mothers die in
childbirth
every hour this is about power and money
almost all infant and maternal mortality
is preventable there is certainly a need
for change the 2030 agenda and the Paris
agreement recognized that the next
generations future can be safeguarded
through our actions today and they
recognize the right to development as a
guiding force for these actions the
declaration is a roadmap for
transformative change and a framework of
Rights and duties to make it work it
calls for accountability at all levels
full and free participation by all women
and men and equality of opportunity for
both nations and individuals the
declaration requires States to ensure
that they are responsible for their
actions and their impact at home and
abroad businesses Development Bank's and
actors financing development must also
take such responsibility achieving the
right to development improves and saves
lives when women have equal access to
education and opportunities the positive
impact on families and societies is well
known the right to development insists
that all individuals have arrived to
reach their full potential but simply
for this
the right development is development
done right