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Reports on the right to development
OHCHR and the right to development
The General Assembly and Human Rights Council have adopted a series of resolutions on human rights and development. These resolutions have requested for a number of reports on development to be presented to the General Assembly and the Council. Below are all the right to development reports of the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights since 2012.
Previous reports can be found on the UN documentation database.
| Year | Session/Date | Topic(s) | Summary | Link |
| 2024 | HRC 57th session | Report on the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner, including on inter-agency coordination within the United Nations system that has direct relevance to the realization of the right to development; Analysis, taking into account existing challenges to the realization of the right to development, and recommendations on how to overcome them and concrete proposals for supporting the Working Group on the Right to Development in fulfilling its mandate. | The present report, submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 78/203 and Human Rights Council resolution 54/18, contains an analysis of efforts undertaken at the national, regional and international levels in the promotion and realization of the right to development, taking into account the context of the response to and recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the reform of the international financial architecture. The report also contains an overview of the activities carried out by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) from May 2023 to May 2024 on the promotion and realization of the right to development. | A/HRC/57/24 |
| 2023 | HRC 54th session | Annual progress and analysis of the realization of the right to development and challenges in the context of the response to and the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, focusing on three areas: (a) access to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines, and intellectual property; (b) financial support and debt relief; and (c) the role and responsibilities of international financial institutions in promoting and protecting human rights, including the right to development. | The report contains an analysis of progress and challenges in the realization of the right to development in the context of the response to and the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic focusing on three areas: a) access to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines, and intellectual property, b) financial support and debt relief, and c) the role and responsibilities of International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in promoting and protecting human rights, including the right to development. The report addresses the international dimension of the responsibility of States to respect, protect and fulfil the right to development including through global and regional partnerships. The report also contains an overview of the activities of OHCHR from June 2022 to May 2023 on the realization of the right to development in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, including inter-agency coordination within the United Nations system. The report concludes with recommendations. | A/HRC/54/38 |
| 2022 | HRC 51st session | Annual progress focus on response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic | Considers how the application of the right to development, its principles and norms, as defined in the Declaration on the Right to Development, would have contributed to preventing and/or easing various impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and guiding the global response to and the recovery from the pandemic. | A/HRC/51/22 |
| 2021 | HRC 48th session | Annual progress, focus on response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic | An overview of OHCHR activities on the promotion and realization of the right to development undertaken between June 2020 and May 2021. The report focuses on the response to and the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. | A/HRC/48/26 |
| 2020 | HRC 45th session | Annual progress, focus on least developed countries and the COVID-19 pandemic | An overview of OHCHR activities on the promotion and realisation of the right to development undertaken between June 2019 and May 2020. The report also contains an analysis of the implementation of the right to development in least developed countries, taking into account existing challenges, including in the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and recommendations on how to overcome them. | |
| 2019 | HRC 42nd session | Annual progress,focus on Sustainable Development Goal 17 | An overview of OHCHR activities on the promotion and realisation of the right to development undertaken between June 2018 and May 2019. The report also provides an analysis of the implementation of the right to development, based on the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 17 and takes into account the work undertaken by and for the Working Group on the Right to Development and other human rights mechanisms. | |
| 2018 | HRC 39th session | Annual progress,focus on Sustainable Development Goal 10 (inequality within and among countries) | An overview of OHCHR activities on the promotion and realisation of the right to development from June 2017 to May 2018. The report also provides an analysis of Sustainable Development Goal 10 (Reduce inequality within and among countries) from the right to development perspective. | A/HRC/39/18 |
| 2017 | HRC 36th session | Annual progress,implementation of the right to development | An overview of OHCHR activities on the promotion and realisation of the right to development from June 2016 to May 2017. The report also provides an analysis of the implementation of the right to development, taking into account existing challenges and making recommendations on how to overcome them. | A/HRC/36/23 |
| 2016 | HRC 33rd session | Annual progress,implementation of the right to development | This report contains an overview of OHCHR activities relating to the promotion and realisation of the right to development. It covers the period from May 2015 to June 2016. | A/HRC/33/31 |
| 2015 | HRC 30th session | Annual progress,implementation of the right to development | The activities included support for relevant Council mechanisms, as well as events and initiatives in the areas of inter-agency coordination and mainstreaming of the right to development into the policies and programmes of international organisations and into the post-2015 development agenda. It covers the period from May 2014 to April 2015. | A/HRC/30/22 |
| 2014 | HRC 27th session | Annual progress,implementation of the right to development | This report contains an overview of the activities of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights relating to the promotion and realisation of the right to development. It covers the period from May 2013 to April 2014. | A/HRC/27/27 |
| 2013 | HRC 24th session | Annual progress,implementation of the right to development | The report provides detailed information on advocacy, outreach and communications work by the Office. In addition, it recounts events and initiatives in support of relevant Council mechanisms and the mainstreaming of the right to development in the global partnership for development. It covers the period from July 2012 to May 2013. | A/HRC/24/27 |
| 2012 | HRC 21st session | Annual progress,implementation of the right to development | The report provides information on various activities, events and initiatives aimed at promotion of the implementation of the right to development covering the period from December 2011 to June 2012. | A/HRC/21/28 |