Right to development is a universal right

The United Arab Emirates, UAE, has stressed that the right to development is a universal right, which aims to eliminate or reduce the effects and intensity of related issues, so no one is excluded, according to the UN slogan, "Leaving No One Behind."

The remarks were made by Ambassador Obaid Salem Al Zaabi, UAE Permanent Representative to the United Nations, UN, and other international organisations in Geneva, while delivering the UAE’s speech at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council, as part of an interactive dialogue with Saad al-Fararji, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development.

At the start of his speech, Al Zaabi highlighted the UAE’s contributions to the discussions of the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, while welcoming al-Fararji and expressing his appreciation for al-Fararji’s important presentation at the Council.

He also expressed his satisfaction at the important consideration given by the Human Rights Council to issues regarding the right to development, based on its belief that development is a human right, which includes empowerment, freedom, equality, wisdom, participation in public life and other rights that contribute to the prosperity of individuals.

He stressed that a series of guidance standards, which were presented by the work team of the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to development in February 2016, constitute a roadmap for guaranteeing the gradual adoption of the right to development, to benefit many developing countries.

He also expressed his disappointment towards the conservative stances of developed countries regarding the Declaration on the Right to Development in 1986, as well as for their initial lack of political and economic co-operation in adopting a series related standards, due to their self-interest and narrow vision.

Al Zaabi added that it is wrong to consider the right to development as purely an issue for developing of poor countries, because the current reality has proven the presence of individuals, families and entire villages suffering from a lack of basic daily necessities in many economically advanced countries that are witnessing increasing unemployment, due to repeated financial crises and a recent rise in poverty and disease despite their previously eradicated, as well as increasing lack of nutrition, housing and other economic and social rights. He therefore stressed that the right to development is a universal right, which aims to eliminate or reduce the effects and intensity of related issues, so no one is excluded, according to the UN slogan, "Leaving No One Behind."

At the end of his speech, Al Zaabi stressed that the UAE’s development policy has a humanitarian aspect, which prioritises the interests of people and their basic needs while considering them as essential rights protected by various national laws, most notably the UAE constitution. On an international level, the UAE believes that the right to development will not be realised except through adopting and developing policies based on real co-operation, which is free from any conditions or pre-conditions that disadvantage the beneficiary country, to preserve the humanitarian aspect of the offered aid while respecting the sovereignty of countries.

The 36th session of the Human Rights Council is being held in Geneva between 11th and 29th September.