A/HRC/21/19
which would lead to an international legally binding instrument that reflects the principles,
the equilibrium and the elements contained in the Declaration on the Right to Development.
24.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland reiterated that the right
to development could not be considered in isolation but was closely linked to the realization
of all human rights. The criteria should strike a more equal balance between State action at
the national and international levels; take full account of the indivisibility of all human
rights, recognizing that progress has to be made in basic civil and political rights in order to
create an environment in which the right to development can be implemented; and be
formulated in a way that respects the universal character of the right to development. The
United Kingdom proposed that there should be a detailed discussion involving experts of
each criterion, incorporating their sub-criteria and indicators, so as to ensure that each is
rigorously tested and that States have the opportunity to consider in detail the implications
for national policies and practices. The United Kingdom further emphasized the need to
consider all criteria, sub-criteria and indicators as a package. The next step should be
translating policy discussion into concrete action. The United Kingdom did not support the
development of a legally binding instrument but remained open to exploring other options,
including guidelines or voluntary principles; training and education; exploring how human
rights regimes incorporated the right to development into their work; and the provision of
technical assistance or sharing of best practices.
25.
Honduras reaffirmed its commitment to the realization of the right to development.
In its view, the Millennium Development Goals constituted the consensus of the
international community and prioritized actions to achieve the goals aimed at in the
Declaration on the Right to Development. The realization of the right to development
required collective action, in addition to national actions, for which strategies for
international cooperation were essential. Honduras viewed the right to development as a
process which was not essentially about economic growth but about the effective
realization of all human rights. The right to development should not be seen exclusively in
its individual dimension, but in its dual dimension as an individual right and the right of
nations to achieve full development.
26.
Brazil attached great importance to the process and to finding a way to move
forward, with a view to achieving concrete results. The right to development was not about
a North-South divide, but was a concern to all. The speaker underlined in that context the
key notion of common and differentiated responsibilities, agreed in the 1992 Rio
Declaration on Environment and Development, in recognition of different levels of
development among countries. However, the lack of development could not be used as an
excuse for human rights violations. The right to development was connected with all human
rights but it was not only the duty of States; more emphasis had to be placed on
international cooperation. Brazil suggested that the Working Group should identify and
address the obstacles to the implementation of the right to development.
27.
The Indian Council of South America, speaking on behalf of the Indigenous Peoples
and Nations Coalition and the International Council for Human Rights, stressed that
individual and collective rights were vitally important to the realization of the right of
peoples to self-determination and were paramount attributes that had to be applied when
working towards eliminating, for all peoples, injustices based on discrimination and in
operationalizing the right to development. In its view, States often selectively reduced the
scope and application of the right to development because they perceived that it applied
only to their interests and not to the right of peoples. Indigenous peoples must be given an
equal voice. The parameters of the nature of collective rights could not be designated only
for States, but also for peoples who aspired to exercise their international right to selfdetermination. The Indian Council emphasized that the right of peoples to selfdetermination was a necessary component in the operationalization of the right to
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