UNITED NATIONS & BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, September 25 (IPS) - World leaders have warned that the most vulnerable people have been left behind as the right to development has promised more than it has delivered, with development seemingly the preserve of the superrich and powerful.

Ahead of the 40th anniversary of the groundbreaking Declaration on the Right to Development this December, world leaders gathered at a High-Level Week meeting on Wednesday to map progress made and the 21st century challenges still ahead – from narrowing the digital divide to levelling the AI playing field – as the UN chief presented a “blueprint” to address promises that remain unfulfilled.

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YouTube video by UN Human Rights Council

On 12 May 2025, Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, opened the 26th Session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The High Commissioner told the IGWG that "the best way to ensure global security is through sustainable development and the realisation of human rights – not trade wars or arms races". #righttodevelopment #humanrights