A/HRC/4/47 page 4 I. ORGANIZATION OF THE SESSION A. Opening of the session 6. The eighth session of the Working Group was opened by Ms. Kang Kyung-wha, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights. In her opening address, she welcomed the sustained focus by the Working Group and the high-level task force on the operational dimensions of realizing the right to development. The Deputy High Commissioner recognized the adoption by the Working Group of the criteria for periodic evaluation of global partnerships, as a milestone in the right to development process. In this context, she pointed out the positive and encouraging responses to this initiative, including from the Human Rights Council and multilateral development and financial organizations. She expressed her deep appreciation to institutional members of the task force, such as the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which had made noticeable and positive contributions to the work. In relation to the report submitted by the task force, she noted the excellent work undertaken on the operationalization and progressive development of the criteria. B. Election of the Chairperson-Rapporteur 7. At its first meeting, on 26 February 2007, the Working Group re-elected by acclamation Mr. Ibrahim Salama (Egypt) as Chairperson-Rapporteur. In his statement following the election, the Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group stated that the right to development was moving into an era of clarity, implementation and added value through innovative tools. He pointed out that the expanding range of actors participating in the right to development debate, the deepening involvement of relevant United Nations agencies and international financial institutions, and the support of the Secretariat, were factors that had contributed to the success of the third session of the task force. He highlighted, inter alia, the already proven usefulness of identified criteria for periodic evaluation of Millennium Development Goal 8 in mainstreaming the right to development; the consensual approach and political commitment supporting the work; the need for additional time and resources for the work of the task force; and that the right to development was not a panacea that could solve all world problems, but that could certainly contribute to making the world a safer and more just and prosperous place for all people. C. Organization of work and adoption of the agenda 8. At its first meeting on 26 February 2007, the agenda of the eighth session of the Working Group was adopted on the basis of the provisional agenda (A/HRC/4/WG.2/1). The agenda as adopted is contained in annex I. D. Attendance 9. Representatives of the following member States of the Human Rights Council attended the meetings of the Working Group: Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, China, Cuba, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Republic of