A/HRC/42/35 B. Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right to development 46. The Special Rapporteur on the right to development, Saad Alfarargi, provided an overview of his mandate and work. He presented his reports on inequalities and on SouthSouth cooperation and upcoming reports on regional consultations and on disaster risk reduction. He also reported on his participation in meetings on South-South cooperation and sustainable development, his visit to Cabo Verde and his planned visits to Switzerland and Chile. He had conducted regional consultations on good practices in designing, implementing, monitoring and assessing policies and programmes to realize the right to development. An overarching issue concerned ensuring the active, meaningful and informed participation of all stakeholders in development at all levels. The Special Rapporteur hoped that the guidelines based on those consultations would contribute to the Working Group’s discussions on a legally binding instrument. He welcomed suggestions on his cooperation with the Working Group. 47. The delegations of the European Union, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (speaking both on behalf of the Movement of NonAligned Countries except Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and in its national capacity) took the floor, followed by the Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII (speaking on behalf of the Working Group on the Right to Development of the Forum of Catholic-Inspired NGOs in Geneva), the Europe-Third World Centre and the Society for Threatened Peoples. Several speakers reiterated their support for the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and welcomed his work to further the right to development. The Movement of Non-Aligned Countries stressed the importance of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and his contributions to the work of the Working Group. It noted that the Working Group was open to receiving his contributions on the preparation of a legally binding instrument. The European Union took note of his report submitted to the Human Rights Council at its thirtyninth session but expressed concern about the duplication of work between the mandates of the Special Rapporteur and the Working Group. 48. The Special Rapporteur welcomed the comments as guidance for his future work. He emphasized international cooperation and the role and duty of every component of the system, including the civil rights component, for the implementation of the right of development. C. Contributions by States and other stakeholders 49. Ethiopia referred to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda as stepping stones for realizing the right to development and as key to leaving no one behind. Development had been an utmost priority for Ethiopia, with the right to development being a constitutionally recognized right that should benefit the people at large. The Government was committed to growth and to lifting people out of poverty through significant budget allocations and pro-poor development activities related to agriculture, health, education and infrastructure. The activities of the private sector had also played a significant role in the overall development of the country. 50. The European Union noted that the 2030 Agenda reflected a human rights-based vision, which was consistent with European Union values. The European Union focused on mainstreaming the Sustainable Development Goals in the European policy framework and in the priorities of the European Commission. The 2017 European Consensus on Development, which was structured around the five core themes of the 2030 Agenda, framed the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in partnership with all developing countries. Examples were provided of how the internal and external policies and actions of the European Union were contributing to the 2030 Agenda, and the Working Group’s attention was drawn to the indicators established for the Sustainable Development Goals. 51. Afghanistan spoke of the country’s efforts to ensure the human right of its citizens to development, a vision captured in the Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework and 10 national priority programmes. A reform package for the education 9