A/HRC/45/21 that the underdevelopment of communities of people of African descent needed to be reversed in partnership with the people involved.32 22. OHCHR and other United Nations human rights mechanisms engaged in the 2019 high-level political forum on sustainable development, preparatory expert group meetings and regional forums, including the 2020 Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development. Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 37/24, the second intersessional meeting for dialogue and cooperation on human rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was held in December 2019, on the theme “Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development”.33 In September 2019, the High Commissioner launched a “surge initiative” in order to identify and pilot ways to further support implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the field.34 23. OHCHR promoted the right to development in and through the digital space. It launched the B-Tech project, an inclusive and dynamic process of dialogue, consultation and research to advance respect for human rights in business practices in the development and application of digital technologies.35 During the RightsCon conference on human rights and the digital space held in Tunis in July 2019, OHCHR organized several sessions, including one on digital divides between countries and regions and obstacles to the realization of the right to development. In collaboration with academic partners, OHCHR continued to deliver an interactive e-learning module on operationalizing the right to development in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.36 Over 300 participants from 116 countries have benefited to date from this capacity-building exercise. In May 2020, OHCHR and the University for Peace launched a new platform entitled “Global action on the right to development” aimed at establishing a network of practitioners to promote the operationalization of the right to development in development practice, including in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. The platform aims to be a “one-stop hub” for academic, policy and practical resources, as well as training and career opportunities. 24. OHCHR headquarters and field presences participated in and organized several conferences and activities on topics related to the environment and human rights, including the right to development and the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. In September 2019, OHCHR co-organized the Peoples’ Summit on Climate, Rights and Human Survival, at which participants adopted a declaration with the same title signed by more than 400 organizations. The High Commissioner attended the twenty-fifth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Madrid in December 2019, participating in many events, including the launch of a new publication with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean on climate change and human rights and the launch of an intergovernmental Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action. In February 2020, OHCHR addressed the second meeting of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, emphasizing States’ obligations under international human rights law to address biodiversity and habitat loss. In August 2019, OHCHR and the United Nations Environment Programme signed a memorandum of understanding by which they committed themselves to engaging jointly with stakeholders on issues such as the promotion of the right to a healthy environment, the protection of environmental human rights defenders, climate change and sustainable development. 25. OHCHR engaged with multilateral development banks and national development financial institutions to help ensure that their activities and policies were consistent with international human rights standards and principles and that human rights risk information was integrated into their due diligence processes 37 OHCHR also adopted a draft study on 32 33 34 35 36 37 6 www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25186. A/HRC/43/33. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=25935. www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Business/Pages/B-TechProject.aspx. www.upeace.org/departments/e-course-on-the-right-to-development. E.g., www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Development/DFI/OHCHR_IDB_ESPF_comments13 April2020.pdf; www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Development/DFI/OHCHR_WB_FCV_