Interview: Right to development must be entrenched in cooperative mind-set: official

30 years after the declaration on the right to development was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1986, South Centre's Executive Director Martin Khor urged both developed and developing states to integrate the inalienable right to development into common policy directives.

In an written interview with Xinhua, the 30th anniversary of the concept was hailed by the official, who highlighted that the term "right to development" carries a great sense of meaning and of hope.

"It is a human right, where every human person and all peoples are entitled to participate in, contribute to and enjoy development in which all rights and freedoms can be fully realized," he explained.

As an author of many books on trade and sustainable development, the official called for "a new international order", since imbalances and inequities in the current status quo continue to hinder the ability of countries to comprehensively improve the lives of their citizens.

He added that the right to development is also integral to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed upon by the international community last year.

Ambitious by nature and in scope, Khor cautioned that the accomplishment of the 17 goals by 2030 depends on the global community's capacity to catalyse cohesive cooperation, identify key obstacles and subsequently remove hurdles.

"Fulfilling the SDGs would go a long way to realising the right to development," he noted, adding that the right to development's unique approach would be beneficial when implementing the SDGs, and vice versa.

According to the official, this would require policy makers in developed countries to take heed of both the interests and needs of people in developing countries when formulating domestic directives.

He also elaborated on some of the global issues that affect the right to development in light of myriad threats facing the world today.

The effects of climate change, particularly for developing and poorer countries, was labelled "an existential problem for the human race" by Khor, who also reminded that the rise in anti-microbial resistance could hail a post-antibiotic age where "every antibiotic ever developed is at risk of becoming useless."

As was the case with overpriced treatments in the past, such challenges affect the poorest countries the most, given their endemic lack of resources, expertise and mitigating factors.

"Developing countries require funds and technology such as microscopes and diagnostic tools," Khor said.

"They also need to have access to existing and new antibiotics at affordable prices; and people in all countries need to be protected from anti-microbial resistance if their life expectancy is to be maintained and if there is to be realisation to the right to development," he added.

An intergovernmental organization of developing countries that helps the latter combine their efforts and expertise to promote their common interests in the international arena, the South Centre was established by an intergovernmental agreement which came into force on July 31, 1995. Endit