A Feature Analysis by Dr. Marivir R. Montebon
New York – At 40, the Right to Development remains one of the oldest declarations of the UN that has not become a convention - mainly because of the glaring power inequities within the UN itself.
Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development (RTD) Surya Deva described the declaration under the UN Commission on Human Rights as having its “mid-life crisis” now that it is 40 years old.
Deva was among the panelists at the side event of the 40th anniversary of RTD here on October 29, 2026. The Permanent Mission of China, the Coordinating Bureau of Non-aligned Movement, and the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights organized the event that brought together member states, UN colleagues and human rights experts for a discussion on advancing the right to development in practice.
Panelists (l-r): Zamir Akram, J.M. Ibanez Rivas, and Surya Deva.
Deva said that the RTD is unique because it establishes the historical basis for development and seeks to eliminate occupation and aggression of sovereign states. “It requires international cooperation. It is difficult but there is no substitute to it,” he said.
Without mincing words, Deva emphasized that some UN member states and the private sector must move from investing in wars towards peace and climate resilience.
“We have the money for war economies, such as the US. But we need to invest in collective security, on peace that brings dignity,” he suggested.
A UN convention is an international treaty that establishes agreements between member states to address global issues collaboratively. These are formal agreements that are negotiated and adopted by member states, focusing on specific agreements on human rights, environmental protection, or trade regulations.
Panelist Mahinour Al Badwari of the Global Partnerships Lead of the Center for Economic and Social Rights, remarked that the RTD is the convention that would address structural injustices such as aggression, inequitable debt system, and taxations.
Al Badwari noted that the RTD is a “tool” against the extractive practices of colonialism and the regulation of AI.
Mahinour Al Badwari of the Global Partnerships Lead of the Center for Economic and Social Rights: the RTD is the convention that would address structural injustices such as aggression, inequitable debt system, and taxations.
In 1986, the General Assembly adopted the landmark RTD Declaration which was pushed by developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action reaffirmed it as a universal and inalienable right and an integral part of fundamental human rights.
For 40 years, the RTD failed to gather a two-thirds majority of the member states for it to become a formal convention at the UN. Foremost of the challenges is political resistance by some countries based on their national interests.
There is also RTD’s complexity of implementation as it encompasses economic, social, and cultural rights, making it difficult to create a universally accepted framework that can be implemented across diverse nations.
Subsequently, resource allocation has been meager for RTD’s progression due to the member states’ lack of commitment.
Zamir Akram, chair and rapporteur of the Intergovernmental Working Group on RTD, said that an RTD convention is a measure of multilateralism. He said that regional mechanisms may lead towards a legally binding convention.
Existing declarations on the right to development and peace have emerged in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East because of regional cooperation for the past 40 years, as shared by Juana Maria Ibanez Rivas, chair of the Expert Mechanism of the RTD.
WFWPI’s Merly Barlaan (rightmost): Civil society’s voice needed to push for RTD convention.
Merly Barlaan, UN Relations Director of the Women’s Federation for World Peace International (WFWPI), expressed optimism for an RTD convention.
“The journey has been 40 years and still struggling to be adopted as a Covenant. This is the ground zero of the battlefield of North and South development. The colonized and developing countries seek their own sovereign and meaningful participation and contribution to the shaping of their countries' socio-economic development process.
The RTD declaration celebrated its 40th year with a side event at the UN NY headquarters in October 2026.
Without prioritizing the benefit of the higher and greater good of humanity, I'm afraid we can't see the Covenant anytime soon. This is where the participation and voice of civil society are crucial in the process. Only with our proactive participation can we influence the outcome. The road ahead is arduous but if people understand the power of their own agency to shape the development that we want, the future is hopeful.”
Meanwhile, the UN has persisted in strengthening relevant mechanisms, including the Intergovernmental Working Group, the Special Rapporteur and the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development, as it continued intergovernmental discussions on the draft International Covenant on the Right to Development. #
