A/HRC/15/WG.2/TF/2 work of the task force relevant to its own work and at the heart of the priority concerns of its membership. 10. The African Union noted that development in Africa remains the foremost concern and objective of the Commission and States members of the Union. The first dialogue for Africa organized by the Commission in May 2009 in Geneva had concluded that, inter alia, the responsibility for development in Africa lies first and foremost with Africans. It is in this context that the African Union has embraced the right to development despite its challenges, including resource constraints, armed conflict, poverty, pandemics and vulnerability to climate change. 11. Egypt, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, welcomed the efforts made by the task force and acknowledged the progress made to date in refining the right to development criteria. Referring to previous Human Rights Council resolutions, it stressed the need for the task force to submit, in April 2010, a list of criteria and operational sub-criteria, and the Movement’s consistent position as outlined at several summits, particularly the Havana summit of 2006 and the Sharm El-Sheik summit of July 2009. These highlighted the commitment of the Movement’s members to work towards the elaboration and adoption of an international convention on the right to development, which should be on a par with other human rights and fundamental freedoms, following the principles of universality, interdependence, indivisibility and interrelatedness. Egypt reiterated that, in the current context of the global crises, the consequences of which are yet to be fully determined, and in the light of the failure of the climate conference in Copenhagen, it expected the refined criteria and operational sub-criteria to reflect and respond to these challenges and constraints to the realization of the right to development, at both the national and international levels, and also to adopt a balanced approach to the roles of national and international responsibilities. 12. The United States of America expressed its support for the work of the task force and the elaboration of criteria, while reiterating its concern with regard to the criteria evolving into a legally-binding instrument. It noted that development is a strategic, economic and moral imperative that should be viewed as an ongoing adaptive process and long-term endeavour. 13. Spain, speaking on behalf of the European Union, commended the work of the task force, and stressed that the Union remains strongly committed to achieving sustainable development and reducing poverty; promoting respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms; working towards ensuring security and conflict prevention; and encouraging good governance, gender equality and equitable globalization. In line with the Declaration on the Right to Development, States have the primary responsibility to guarantee the full enjoyment of all human rights, including the right to development. The Union’s discourse is not within the realm of a legally-binding instrument. The draft set of criteria, once endorsed by the Working Group, should be used as a basis for the elaboration of a set of standards for the implementation of the right to development with the aim of mainstreaming the right to development in the policies of actors at all levels. They should be operationalized in terms of benchmarks and indicators with regard to the obligations of States to empower individuals as active agents in the development process. 14. Nigeria, on behalf of the African Group, associated itself fully with the statement made by Egypt on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. Nigeria considered the right to development to be the key to the enjoyment of all other human rights and fundamental freedoms, and supported the full implementation of the right to development. The efforts made by the task force and the Working Group would constitute the commencement of the much-desired process to delineate standards, which should eventually evolve into a legallybinding international instrument. The Group recognized the role played by national and regional bodies, and referred to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development as a catalyst 4 GE.10-11443