EU Explanation of Vote – UN General Assembly 3rd Committee: After the vote on the draft resolution on the Right to Development

Mr President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU and its Member States. 

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^* and Georgia, align themselves with this statement.

At the outset, the EU wishes to reiterate its steadfast commitment to the realisation of all human rights. We also reaffirm our commitment to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and recall that the EU and its Member States have maintained their position as the largest global Official Development Assistance provider. 

The EU promotes a human rights-based approach to inclusive and sustainable development. The realisation of a right to development must be rooted in the universal, indivisible, interrelated, and interdependent nature of all human rights. As per international human rights law, we recall that States have the primary responsibility and obligation for the full realisation of all human rights, and every individual person must be always and everywhere recognised as the rights holder. The lack of development can never be used as a pretext by States not to fulfil their human rights obligations.

Mr. President, 

The EU thanks Cuba for leading, on behalf of the NAM, open informal consultations on the presented draft resolution. We participated actively and constructively in the negotiations and appreciate the work of Cuba in incorporating several of our proposals, which resulted in improvements in the text. At the same time, our proposals aiming to ensure that the text aligns with the principle of universality of human rights, with individuals as rights-holders and States as duty-bearers, unfortunately were not reflected in the text, which prevents a more favourable outcome for this resolution to emerge currently. 

Mr. President,

Based on these internationally recognised human rights principles, the EU continue to have significant reservations to the current draft legally binding instrument on the right to development. The current text is not consistent with international human rights law, since, among other things, it establishes a hierarchy between rights, placing the right to development above other rights. It further does not sufficiently reflect the discussions and diverging views expressed in the context of the Working Group on the right to development in Geneva.

For consensus to emerge, it would be necessary to address these concerns. We call once again for open, transparent and inclusive discussions and stand ready to continue engaging constructively. 

Thank you.

*North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.