A/HRC/19/70
poverty. Recognizing international solidarity was important to better monitor MDG 8. There
was a need to provide the right to development with a legally binding framework for its
implementation. More generally, concern was expressed over the insufficient progress in the
realization of the right to development, imbalanced global governance and the pressure from
industrialized countries on developing countries to open up or privatize their markets.
Concern was also expressed that despite 25 years of efforts, little had been achieved in
terms of policy prescriptions for States, and that human rights implementation proved more
difficult today than before. The need for dialogue and understanding on the right to
development was underlined. In order to boost the right to development it was necessary to
generate the necessary conditions for sustainable and sporadic development, foster
international consensus and respect commitments made. Concern was also expressed over
the gap between recognition and implementation of rights. While the important role of civil
society was underlined, it was also stressed that the primary duty-bearer for the creation of a
national and international enabling environment rested with States.
20. In their concluding remarks, the panellists focused on specific questions. As
concerned the added value of the right to development, it was argued that the focus on the
human being as the centre of the development process was essential. International solidarity
could help in establishing an enabling environment for the realization of the right to
development. The importance of practical examples of how education could contribute to
development was underlined. In that context, reference was made to the importance of
benchmarks in the field of education, good-quality secondary and basic education, the
importance of education for sustainable development, as well as the importance of
international assistance and cooperation in the field of development. To make further
progress in the realization of the right to development, there was a need to reach out to
ordinary people and to mobilize civil society for the right to development. It was also
necessary to mainstream the right to development jointly with all other rights in the work of
relevant agencies. Progress was being made in terms of commitment to bringing
development and human rights together, activities at the grass-roots level and claiming the
right to active, free and meaningful participation. While States were the primary dutybearers under the Declaration on the Right to Development, international cooperation and
the reform of the international economic and financial system was equally important.
Concern over inadequate implementation of the right to development could also be made
with human rights more generally; indeed it was currently a difficult period for promoting
human rights.
B.
1.
Measures and actions needed to make the right to development a reality
for everyone at the local, national, regional and international levels,
including the role and contribution of civil society and nongovernmental organizations
Legal and social action strategies and the right to development
21. Wilson Kipsang Kipkazi, Endorois Welfare Council, speaking on the Endorois
struggle for recognition and development, described the history of the eviction of the
Endorois community and their legal struggle, which ultimately led to a decision of the
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, recognizing inter alia a violation of
the right to development by the Kenyan authorities in 2010. He elaborated on the efforts
made by the Endorois after the decision was adopted and the challenges and needs of the
Endorois Welfare Council. The key implementation challenges were to: (a) ensure that the
Endorois community has unrestricted access to Lake Bogoria and surrounding sites for
religious and cultural purposes and for cattle-grazing; (b) payment of adequate
compensation for loss suffered and royalties from existing economic activities and to ensure
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