The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to development released a call for inputs on reinvigorating the right to development and the role of business in realizing the right to development in the context of the Agenda 2030 and human rights instruments. With this, the Reality of Aid-Asia Pacific submitted an input which highlights how the current framework of Agenda 2030 fails to address the multi-dimensional crises and structural inequalities that hinder the realization of the right to development. This is further exacerbated by the stress on the use of private finance in development, which adversely impacts people’s rights, security and environment.
Below are some snippets from RoA-AP’s inputs, the full document can be downloaded here.
On the hindrances to the right to development
The multi-dimensional crises, and the structural inequalities where these are rooted in, serve as a major impediment to achieving the right to development. Worsening poverty, increasing debt, continuing conflict and the climate emergency is faced by developing countries and disproportionately impacts the marginalized and vulnerable. As Official Development Assistance (ODA) remains to be lacking in quantity and quality, developing countries are forced to incur onerous debts and the private sector is given a larger role in financing development. With this, there is stress on private sector financing and the disbursement of ODA in loans, despite the worsening debt distress, rights violations and lack of accountability from these. IFI conditionalities also force governments to privatize essential goods and services, as well as implement austerity measures, in order to pay off loans.
There is also a lack of political will from states to stop war and conflict, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and continuing conflict in Afghanistan, Palestine and Myanmar. Continuing security alliances and funding for armed forces have only intensified tensions and led to increased attacks on marginalized communities. There is also a lack of holistic humanitarian, development and peace responses to fragile, conflict-affected states.
In Asia-Pacific and the rest of the global South, anti-people regimes have violated people’s rights, shrunk civic spaces and exacerbated inequalities. Due to the imposition of neoliberal policies, people face increased taxes, rise in commodity prices and privatized social services. With this, the pandemic pushed millions of people into extreme poverty. Furthermore, civic space continues to be threatened as people are excluded from development processes and governments facilitate attacks towards CSOs, people’s organizations and communities that expose the anti-people policies of the government.
On the role of private sector in development
The profit-seeking nature of businesses often presents a conflict with development objectives and actors, including the civil society and communities that are at the receiving end of these efforts. Business activities have often led to the exploitation of natural resources and labor especially in developing countries and Indigenous Peoples communities for profit. The pursuance of large infrastructure projects introduced disputes in affected communities over land rights and ownership, as well as threats of displacement of Indigenous Peoples from their ancestral lands, loss of livelihood sources and cultural sites, and negative impacts on the environment and biodiversity in these affected areas.
The Kampala Principles for Effective Private Sector Engagement Through Development Cooperation provides a normative guidance on how private sector entities can contribute to national sustainable development priorities. These anchor private sector interventions on the development effectiveness principles, international human rights and labor norms and standards. However, the Kampala Principles remain to be non-binding and voluntary for businesses. Coupled with the lack of robust oversight and regulatory mechanisms of states in developing countries, private sector intervention can remain unchecked and negatively impact people’s rights, livelihoods, lives and environment. Governments have further colluded with large private sector entities, leading to the violation of labor rights, attacks on workers, and unrestricted access to the country’s resources. As peoples’ interests are sidelined in favor of corporate interests, this leaves farmers, fisherfolk, workers and migrants in precarious working conditions and with inadequate and below living wages.
Private sector initiatives should contribute to long-term development plans and priorities defined by the people, especially the marginalized sectors of society. Private sector financing must be channeled to the least targeted SDGs, support governments’ gender-responsive budgeting initiatives and provided to climate-resilient and community-based actions. In partnering with businesses, the government must not abandon its role in providing essential goods and services for the people.
There is also a need to unleash and build the potential of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), social enterprises (SEs) and local entrepreneurs as private sector partners for development cooperation. This entails providing the necessary support, assistance and resources to these private sector entities. They should be provided greater government support, protection and access to financing tools. Public finance must be channeled into partnering with MSMEs, SEs and local entrepreneurs for development initiatives. Development actors must ensure genuine representation of these entities in social dialogues and partnerships, in order to maximize their potential contribution to domestic development and local employment.
On upholding the right to development
Relevant agendas should be pursued based on a human rights and feminist-based approach, as well as the development effectiveness principles. Pursuing a locally-led agenda as an approach can facilitate the participation of local actors and the mainstreaming of the right to development in relevant agendas. Anchoring and aligning frameworks on these principles ensure that development priorities are democratically-owned and are determined through inclusive processes, with an emphasis on upholding people’s rights. This also entails that various actors have their own roles and responsibilities in promoting development and in leaving no one behind.
Donor countries must uphold their 0.7% Gross National Income (GNI) commitment for ODA in the form of grants, in order to provide adequate financing for developing countries to implement initiatives. IFIs should stop imposing onerous loans and policy conditionalities in providing development finance. Private sector entities, when providing financing or partnering for development projects, should adhere to international human rights and labor norms and standards, including the Kampala Principles. States must be able to effectively regulate and monitor private sector intervention in development.
Financing should be made available for local actors that forward democratically-owned projects, in order to maximize efficiency and impact of development initiatives. Civil society must continue to develop its capacity in monitoring commitments to the right to development, and seek accountability from development actors. People’s movements, through their continued resistance and collective action, have exposed systemic injustices and continued to pursue a rights-based and people-centered development for all. Development actors must facilitate the inclusion of civil society in development processes and stand with the people’s movements that forward social change. Universities and the media can support and amplify calls of communities through research and communications.
The Special Rapporteur must be able to recognize and address persisting challenges of conflict and fragility, the worsening climate crisis, and their impacts on the world’s marginalized. Given that these crises multiply threats and risks for the poor and vulnerable, there is a need to mobilize support and commitment in addressing these. This entails mobilizing sufficient public financing from donor countries, based on their historical commitments, for Triple Nexus and climate initiatives for frontline communities.
In ensuring efficient and impactful use of aid, the localization of development is crucial. This allows for communities to dictate their development priorities and provides capacity to implement their own solutions and approaches to the challenges they face. The right to development can only be fully realized if marginalized communities and sectors are at the center of development and they have democratic ownership over their needs and priorities.
The right to development can only be attained if people are able to determine their development needs and priorities, and they are meaningfully included in development processes. Relevant agendas should be pursued based on a human rights and feminist-based approach, as well as the development effectiveness principles. Anchoring and aligning frameworks on these principles ensure that development priorities are democratically-owned and are determined through inclusive processes, with an emphasis on upholding people’s rights. This also entails that various actors have their own roles and responsibilities in promoting development and in leaving no one behind.