WG on the right to development - Feb. 27th - CB

Working Group on the RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT, eight session, 26 February – 2 march
27.2.2007



Agenda Item 4 (a): Consideration of the report paragraph by paragraph

§ 88
(this paragraph refers to the annexes II and III)

Regarding annex II Criteria for periodic evaluation of Global Development Partnerships form a right-to-development perspective the following positions were taken:

Bangladesh, South Africa, Cuba (NAM), Algeria, Egypt
- do not agree with the formulation of §g: … in accordance with is international obligations. International law or nothing at all would be better.
South Africa
- wants to include a reference to the principles of sustainable development

Regarding annex III Suggested Initial Implementation checklist for the criteria the following positions were taken:


Bangladesh: Criteria focus to much on the developing country. The international dimension should be covered as well; trade, subsidies, technological transfer etc.


South Africa, Cuba (NAM), Algeria and Egypt go in the same direction:
The checklist is too much about the national level. Too focused on the conditions in the developing countries.

Germany (EU): reaction to Bangladesh. G. understands that the criteria do not focus on the developing country but on the partnership. Moreover, the criteria have anyway to be fulfilled by the donor country. Unavoidable to address the developing country as this is where the project focuses.

UK: Need of best practices (e.g. examples of how these partnerships should be) should be provided

UNICEF: Supports Bangladesh. Debt, trade and transparency are important.

Answer by the Task force:
Focused is on the arrangement not the developing country. To what extend does the arrangement reflect and enhance the criteria? Two different readings: what is the developing country doing and what is the partnership doing.

CUBA
General statement on behave the NAM. Need to improve the criteria. Everything relates to the inequalities that exist in the international trade system. Subsidies are penalising developing countries. This is unfair and it has to be addressed.


EGYPT
NAM. Criteria go to far. What is the goal: human rights? Not for us out aim is development.
Criteria 6, does not work. Not judicable.

GERMANY
It is about mainstreaming human rights. Number two is because of respect of sovereignty. National action plans are defined by the developing countries. Annex 2 (g) human right belongs to the individuals.

WORLD BANK
Respond to Egypt. Africa action plan. Right to development a tool for policy makers. World bank wants to be bound.

JAPAN
Shares the view of Germany

It is agreed that the criteria will be further worked on

§ 89
§ 90
§ 91
§ 92

it was agreed upon these §s but the mention of “the World Bank’s Africa Action Plan” is erased on request of Cuba (NAM), Algeria (AG) and Egypt

Agenda Item 4 (b): Consideration of next steps

Convention?
NAM: Convention on the Right to Development
EU: No!!!

Additional days accorded to the task force
It is agreed to accord two additional days to the task force.

Agenda Item 4 c) Consideration of the reports of the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights

Clarification by the secretariat:
Two reports, one of 2005 and
They are different because the first was a very broad mandate. Less defined than now. The year 2006 was very decisive for the right to development. This is manifest in the second report. It is much more focused on the crystallised mandate.

South Africa: there is nothing new in this report.

Task Force: We need a mandate to continue to work an the three partnership as we did before. Thanks to the secretariat.

It is taken note of the two reports. The Chair comments on south Africa; every member state is very welcome to give inputs to the Task force. This applies also to the EU.
Final words on the reports. Secretariat has two tasks: first; intellectual support and material support. Second the mainstreaming of the right to development. This second task depends a lot on what this working group establishes. Until one the HC possibilities were limited. This will change. We can expect more and more.