A/HRC/39/56 I. Introduction 1. The present report was prepared pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 9/3 in which the Council decided to renew the mandate of the Working Group until it had completed the tasks entrusted to it and that the Working Group would convene annual sessions of five working days and submit its reports to the Council. 2. The mandate of the Working Group on the Right to Development, as established by the Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 1998/72, is to monitor and review progress made in the promotion and implementation of the right to development as set out in the Declaration on the Right to Development (General Assembly resolution 41/128), at the national and international levels, providing recommendations thereon and further analysing obstacles to its full enjoyment, focusing each year on specific commitments in the Declaration; to review reports and any other information submitted by States, United Nations agencies, other relevant international organizations and non-governmental organizations on the relationship between their activities and the right to development; and to present for the consideration of the Commission a sessional report on its deliberations, including advice to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the implementation of the right to development and suggesting possible programmes of technical assistance at the request of interested countries with the aim of promoting the implementation of the right to development. II. Organization of the session 3. The Working Group convened its nineteenth session in Geneva from 23 to 26 April 2018. The session was opened by the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights. In her opening statement, 1 the Deputy High Commissioner emphasized the indivisibility and universality of all human rights and the way in which the right to development could make a unique and essential contribution in addressing global challenges. Inequality and discrimination were the defining challenges of our time. She referred to the devastating impact of illicit financial flows; poor patterns of public expenditure; and public services undermined by political interests. Different results would come only from a different approach, in which development and globalization benefits were shared fairly so as to leave no one behind either by design or neglect. She called upon the Working Group to reflect upon its mandate, achievements and challenges and to consider new avenues for achieving progress in the implementation of the right to development. 4. At its first meeting, on 23 April 2018, the Working Group re-elected by acclamation Zamir Akram as Chair-Rapporteur. In his opening statement, 2 the Chair-Rapporteur referred to several instruments that the international community had adopted by consensus and called upon Member States to use these consensus texts as a basis for moving forward in the implementation of the right to development. He had consistently argued that progress in the Working Group was possible only if participating Member States demonstrated the necessary political will for compromise and by seeking common ground. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (General Assembly resolution 70/1) further enhanced the possibilities for realizing the right to development, since the Sustainable Development Goals contained therein are broadly consistent with that right. The Chair-Rapporteur referred to a paper that he had submitted to the Working Group highlighting common elements in key texts.3 5. The Chair invited Vitali Rousak, Chief, Central Planning and Coordination Service, Division of Conference Management, United Nations Office at Geneva, who drew the 1 2 3 The full text of the statement is available from www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Development/Pages/ 19thSession.aspx. The full text of the statement is available from www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Development/Pages/ 19thSession.aspx. A/HRC/WG.2/19/CRP.1. 3