UN Secretary-General: The promise of development remains unfulfilled for millions
New York, 23 Sep (KUNA) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guteris said on Wednesday that the world has made "remarkable progress" since the adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development 40 years ago, but the promise to ensure a fair opportunity for every individual to grow and live with dignity "remains unfulfilled" for millions of people.
He made these remarks in a speech delivered during a high-level meeting held at the United Nations headquarters in New York to mark the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development in 1986.
Guteris emphasized that development, human rights, and peace are not separate aspirations but "advance together," calling on world leaders to unite amid the "growing divisions" witnessed globally.
He noted that the Sustainable Development Goals provide a roadmap to ensure no one is left behind, highlighting that the efforts of states, communities, and activists have contributed to tangible progress over the past decades.
However, Guteris warned that the promise of development faces new challenges, including rising inequality, debt burdens, conflicts, economic instability, and the impacts of the climate crisis.
He cautioned that the digital revolution and artificial intelligence hold great potential to improve human lives, but could simultaneously become drivers of exclusion and division.
Guteris stressed the need to turn the 40th anniversary into a "call to action" to protect the right to development for all and to broaden the participation of individuals and states in the global progress journey.
He called for increased investment in education, food security, water and sanitation, social protection, and universal health coverage, as well as ensuring access to technology for all, providing adequate financing for development, addressing debt burdens, and reforming the international financial architecture.
He also urged accelerating the transition to renewable energy, tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, and building partnerships with the business sector, civil society, and youth.
The Secretary-General concluded his address by calling on the international community to renew its commitment to human rights and the dignity of all people, enhance women's participation in decision-making, and revive the spirit of global solidarity upon which the United Nations Charter is founded. (End)
