A/HRC/15/23 the lack of democracy in global decision-making. Consequently, the outcome of the work of the task force did not reflect the balance between national and international responsibilities in addressing the right to development, as set out in the Declaration on the Right to Development, adopted by the General Assembly in 1986. In the view of the Movement, follow-up work should be undertaken at the intergovernmental level, with the ultimate goal being an international legally-binding instrument on the right to development. 8. Several Member States took the floor and associated themselves with the statement made by Egypt. In its statement, Cuba objected to the reformulation of the scope and content of the right to development, as well as the overemphasis on national responsibilities in the reports of the task force. Operationalizing the right to development was not about mainstreaming all human rights into the development process, but about mainstreaming and implementing development-oriented policies at all levels, in order to improve further the capacity of States to ensure the full enjoyment of all human rights. The efforts of countries to achieve development were restrained by obstacles at the international level that were beyond their control and included, for example, the adverse effects of globalization, the protectionist barriers imposed by developed countries, the non-fulfilment of commitments on official development assistance (ODA) and the unsustainable external debt burden. Indonesia recognized the strong linkage between development and the fulfilment of all human rights obligations. The implementation of the right to development should prioritize the needs of the people and the poor in the developing world who are most in need of international assistance. The Philippines considered that many recent international developments and the confluence of global crises had re-emphasized the relevance of the right to development and the need for its operationalization. The criteria seemed to overemphasize the human rights-based approach to development at the national level rather than the right to development on a global scale with an enabling international environment. India noted the “magical and unique” nature of the right to development, in that it sought to strike a balance between international and national commitments. The right was framed to ensure global solidarity, while the report of the task force shifted the balance towards national responsibility. Bangladesh disagreed with the view that other human rights could be attained without the right to development. National responsibility in realizing the right to development was clear, but the need for an enabling global environment was also undeniable. Such an environment was not only focused on providing assistance, but was also about creating opportunities with regard to international trade, intellectual property and the transfer of technology. The Islamic Republic of Iran regretted the continuing obstacles to the realization of the right to development, including unilateral coercive measures and sanctions towards countries, almost 25 since the adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development. 9. Nigeria, speaking on behalf of the African Group, associated itself with the statement made by Egypt and expressed deep concern at the limited progress towards the realization of the right to development, especially at a time when multiple global crises had had a grave impact on the efforts of the international community for sustainable development, and highlighted the scale and depth of global interconnectedness. Statements associated with the positions of the Non-Aligned Movement and the African Group included that of Algeria, which also welcomed the task force proposal for convening regional consultations to strengthen the mainstreaming of the right to development. Mauritius highlighted the need for mainstreaming the right to development in the work of all agencies and programmes of the United Nations system. Morocco stressed that development models should not be imposed on States without taking into account their needs, but should assist them in benefiting from their human and natural resources, through regional integration and South-South cooperation. 10. The European Union recalled its strong commitment to sustainable development, poverty reduction and reaching the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The right to 4 GE.10-14167