The Right to Development at 40: Addressing Unfinished Promises and Modern Challenges

As the world marks the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development this December, global leaders convened for a High-Level Week meeting to evaluate progress and confront 21st-century challenges, ranging from bridging the digital divide to addressing artificial intelligence disparities. The UN Secretary-General presented a strategic blueprint to tackle the promises of the declaration that remain unfulfilled.

What you need to know:

• The declaration, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1986, established a groundbreaking framework in the universal pursuit of human dignity, freedom, equality, and justice.
• It offers essential guardrails on issues ranging from artificial intelligence to internet access, while also accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Negotiations for a legally binding treaty on the right to development have been underway since 2018.

Watch live on UN Web TV:

What is the declaration?

Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1986, the declaration establishes access to development as an inalienable right.

It asserts that everyone is “entitled to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural, and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realised.”

The declaration unequivocally places people at the center of the development process.

Read the full declaration here.

‘A call to action’

UN Secretary-General António Guterres told world leaders that the declaration’s anniversary is more than a moment of reflection—it is “a call to action.”

For millions globally, the promises outlined in the declaration remain unfulfilled. Yet, Guterres emphasized, “we know how to make it real,” pointing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that “provide the blueprint to leave no one behind.”

Under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 17 SDGs establish goals and targets that are lifting people out of poverty and protecting their rights.

He noted that progress since the declaration’s adoption has been driven by the foresight, dedication, and resilience of countries, communities, and activists of all ages.

Extreme poverty has fallen dramatically, nearly half the world is now covered by some form of social protection, people are living longer, and scientific and technological advances have transformed lives and livelihoods and expanded opportunity.

New tests await

However, Guterres warned that the promise of development now faces new tests, citing widening inequalities, persistent food insecurity, rising debt, conflicts, and economic instability that impede growth.

Furthermore, the climate crisis is reaching devastating new levels each year, reminding the world that development cannot occur on a degraded and unhealthy planet.

While the digital revolution and artificial intelligence hold enormous potential to improve lives, these frontline technologies can also serve as drivers of exclusion and division.

Guterres stated, “The declaration unequivocally establishes development as a right and puts people at the centre of the development process.”

“Development, human rights, and peace are not separate ambitions; they advance together. In today’s divided world, this vision can still unite us, and the Sustainable Development Goals are the roadmap to get us there.”

Read our explainer on the right to development here.

What does people-centred development look like?

UN agencies have long integrated human rights into development projects worldwide.

The right to development extends to people enduring humanitarian crises, spanning war zones to disaster recovery.

Here’s what putting people first means:

• Colombia: Indigenous Peoples’ groups have actively participated in the South American country’s peace accords
• Gaza: Women engineers are transforming electronic waste into opportunity
• Nepal: Following lethal floods in August that wiped out communities, UN agencies are supporting recovery and rebuilding efforts
• Morocco: Vocational training programmes are assisting women in launching income-generating activities
• South Sudan: UN peacekeepers constructed a reservoir to accommodate communities previously fighting over scarce water resources
• Venezuela: UN agencies partnered to respond to deadly twin earthquakes in June

Snapshots from around the world

© WFP/Sayed Abidullah Sadat A young girl eats a nutritionally enriched biscuit in Zabul province, Afghanistan. Afghanistan: The UN World Food Programme (WFP) operates school feeding programmes, including in Zabul province, Afghanistan, where hunger persists.

© UNOCHA/Giles Clarke An IOM mobile clinic in Place Clercine in Tabarre, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Haiti: Deadly gang violence has triggered widespread displacement across Haiti. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) supports ongoing humanitarian efforts, including mobile clinics to serve those in need.

UNDP Ukraine/Giles Duley An explosive ordnance disposal specialist works in Ukraine to clear land of contamination from the war. Ukraine: More than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, nearly half of the country is contaminated with landmines.The UN Development Programme (UNDP) supports volunteers and specialists working to de-mine land to make it safe again for living and farming.

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