A/HRC/7/9 page 4 I. INTRODUCTION 1. Pursuant to resolution 2000/82, by which the Commission on Human Rights established his mandate and in accordance with resolution 5/1, by which the Human Rights Council extended the mandate, the independent expert on the effects of economic reform policies and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights, hereby submits his final report. 2. In its resolution 2000/82, the Commission requested the independent expert to pay particular attention to: (a) The effects of foreign debt and the policies adopted to address them on the full enjoyment of all human rights, in particular, economic, social and cultural rights in developing countries; (b) Measures taken by Governments, the private sector and international financial institutions to alleviate such effects in developing countries, especially the poorest and heavily indebted countries; (c) New developments, actions and initiatives being taken by international financial institutions, other United Nations bodies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations with respect to structural adjustment policies and human rights. 3. In its resolutions 2004/18 and 2005/19, the Commission further requested the independent expert, in the discharge of his mandate, to draft general guidelines to be followed by States and by private and public, national and international financial institutions in the decision-making and execution of debt repayments and structural reform programmes, including those arising from foreign debt relief, and to submit a final draft of general guidelines to the Commission at its sixty-second session. The purpose of the guidelines is to ensure that compliance with the commitments arising from foreign debt do not undermine the capacity of States to fulfil their obligations for the full realization by their citizenry of fundamental economic, social and cultural rights, as provided for in international human rights instruments. 4. Subsequently, by its decision 2/109, the Human Rights Council requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to convene an expert consultation to contribute to the ongoing process of drafting the draft general guidelines and to invite international financial institutions, notably the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), regional developments banks, relevant United Nations agencies and national experts and stakeholders to contribute to the consultations. 5. The expert consultation was held on 9 and 10 July 2007, in Geneva. Its main objectives were: (a) To provide an overall picture of how foreign debt and debt relief programmes and different kinds of economic reform policies affect the capacity of States to comply with human rights standards;