A/HRC/33/21 this it was necessary to overcome the ideological polarity dividing States. Ratification of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights was also necessary to realize the right to development. International financial institutions should be reformed and trade and technology transfer must be increased. International cooperation and action by private actors for the promotion of human rights was imperative. Lastly, it was necessary to exchange “best practices” for the promotion of a human rights-based approach to the right to development. 64. Mr. McCook affirmed that the international community was clearly able to add a development dimension to the human rights discussion. The question was whether the Human Rights Council could develop a way to enable ongoing assessments of the implementation of the Declaration using its regular processes. The issues raised during the discussion intersected as the relationship between sustainable development and human rights had been addressed in the 2030 Agenda, which was informed by the right to development. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights had very explicit processes (i.e., the respective committees) for reviewing progress in meeting the commitments of the 2030 Agenda and implementing the right to development. 65. Mr. Kanade recalled that the Millennium Development Goals had emanated from the Millennium Declaration, and the 2030 Agenda was also grounded in that declaration. International cooperation included financial cooperation as well as technical cooperation and capacity-building. Development priorities needed to be determined by the recipients. The right to development had been recognized in several United Nations declarations to remind the international community that States needed to define development as a right for everyone. He concurred that the 2030 Agenda had been informed by and grounded in the right to development. The universal periodic review mechanism was an appropriate forum for the evaluation of national and international human rights in the implementation of the right to development. 66. Mr. Khor affirmed that it was important for all businesses to adhere to guidelines on ethical behaviour and to implement those already adopted by the Human Rights Council. If they did not adhere to guidelines, some action must be taken. For example, following the BP oil spill in 2010, the United States was able to require the company to compensate both the authorities and the local people who were affected. However, smaller countries would not necessarily be as able to pursue reparation, because multinational corporations were very powerful and took advantage of transnational escape routes. An international human rights mechanism should therefore be set up to enable victims of human rights violations to seek redress when they were not able to get such redress through national mechanisms. 67. In closing the discussion, the moderator encouraged participants to continue the dialogue within and beyond the Human Rights Council in the collective search for policy recommendations and practical measures for making the right to development accessible to everyone. Mr. Ramadan underlined that the panel discussion had been a reminder of the distinct role and value of the right to development, which provided renewed hope for present and future generations. 14