A/HRC/19/39 appreciation the background report of the High Commissioner submitted to the Social Forum and its emphasis on peoples’ participation in development, and related this to her own experience on the right to development, especially in the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and in her own work with indigenous communities in the Philippines. Referring to the links between the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Declaration on the Right to Development and the all-important factor of people’s participation, she made specific reference to articles 1 and 2 of the Covenant and articles 1 and 2 of the Declaration. 10. After 25 years since the adoption of the Declaration, it was important to ask what efforts had been made to find out directly how the enjoyment of the right to development was experienced by people in the realities of everyday life. To move effectively from policy to practice, it was critical to listen to the voice of people, so that policy could be informed by their genuine participation, which was the essence of the right to development. Ms. Dandan referred to a bilateral project between the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines and the New Zealand Human Rights Commission focusing on three selected indigenous communities in the Philippines and counterpart Maori communities in New Zealand. She supported the view that gaps in the implementation of the Declaration on the Right to Development could be filled by looking at good practices such as the abovementioned project. Many diverse territories were in the midst of great changes, and it was a formidable task to seek and highlight good practices that might not be formally labelled as human rights-based approaches to development, but nonetheless gave effect to the principles of the right to development. She found the locus of hope among peoples and individuals who could be, and in fact were, the primary agents of change, and who had the right to shape their own destiny. 11. Mr. Ingram commenced his presentation by introducing his organization, the oldest independent development think tank in Canada. He pointed out that implementing the right to development was no easy task, and that it was easier to affirm in principle than to apply in policies and resource allocation. His organization’s research focused on the identification of how a holistic vision of human rights and real world government resource decisions could best be reconciled. National policymakers would rarely seek decisions based on rights alone. Consultations with indigenous peoples had added political and financial costs to Government and private companies. In this context, free, prior and informed consent and the right to self-determination had been an important part of their research. In considering how this concept could be used to encourage active and meaningful participation, Mr. Ingram stated that mere consultations were not enough. In order to be more beneficial, the rights of indigenous peoples to say no to projects that affected them should be respected. Capacity strengthening of indigenous peoples was also crucial. He gave an example where guides were developed on the use of free, prior and informed consent and the participation of indigenous peoples, environment impact assessment, and benefit-sharing of the outputs of mining. In general, indigenous peoples were not against development, although development came in many forms. Some communities prioritize such small-scale projects as mining and farming, while others preferred large-scale ones, as long as their rights were upheld and they could share in the benefits. 12. Mr. Ingram further stated that corporate social responsibility alone was not sufficient to ensure responsible and sustainable development. His organization was also broadening its research to include private sector frameworks. North-South Canada was currently engaged in an expert project to measure quantitatively the progressive realization of economic, social and cultural rights. Results could be used by citizens to hold their Governments accountable. 5