HRC61 - EU Statement - Panel discussion on financing sustainable development in line with economic, social and cultural rights obligations
United Nations Human Rights Council
61st Session
Panel discussion on financing sustainable development in line with economic, social and cultural rights obligations
5 March 2026
EU statement
Mr. President,
The EU welcomes today’s panel discussion and thanks the panellists for their insightful interventions.
The realisation of all human rights, including economic, social, and cultural rights, is a fundamental pillar of EU’s values and policies in the promotion of dignity and sustainable development for all.
The Summit of the Future and its outcome documents reaffirmed the world's unwavering commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Seville Conference and the Doha Summit represented further opportunities to take decisive, principled, and collective action in this regard.
The growing debt crisis, particularly in LDCs and SIDS, limits governments’ ability to invest in essential services and hinders the fight against climate change. A reformed global financial architecture should prioritise debt sustainability, transparency and fairness. At the same time, strengthening tax systems, tackling illicit financial flows, and improving governance are necessary to create the fiscal space needed to fulfil human rights and accelerate progress towards the SDGs. Moving beyond GDP towards more comprehensive indicators is essential to designing policies that truly advance human rights and sustainable development.
As the world’s largest official development assistance donor, the EU and its Member States promote a human rights-based approach to inclusive and sustainable development, which is reflected in our development policy and cooperation. We work towards achieving sustainable development, the non-discriminatory realisation of all human rights, eradicating poverty in all its dimensions, tackling discrimination and inequalities, and leaving no one behind.
Distinguished panellists,
What main trends do you identify in successful rights-based national practices aiming at providing quality public services for the realization of economic, social and cultural rights and achieving sustainable development?