Side Event at the 62nd Session of the Human Rights Council
DRTD@40 and Sustainable Development Agenda: Youth Perspectives on the Right to Development in the Global South
Co-organized by South Centre, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the University for Peace
3 July 2026, 12h-13h, Room XVI, Palais des Nations, Geneva
As we mark 40 years since the adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development (DRTD), it is crucial to ensure that youth perspectives are represented in the post-2030 agenda. Youth in the Global South—the largest generation in history—face unique structural challenges, including digital divides, systemic debt distress, and limited policy space for industrialisation.
This event provides a platform to amplify youth voices on structural economic reform, digital sovereignty, and intergenerational justice.
Let’s bridge normative Right to Development frameworks with lived experiences. Join us in shaping the future of the Right to Development!
Leveraging Global South Data Through Digital Public Infrastructure for Sustainable Development
24 June 2026 | 11:00 – 12:00 (CEST) | Zoom
Taking place on Digital Public Infrastructures Day (DPI) Day during the UN Open Source Week 2026, this webinar aims to:
Examine how regulatory regimes and data governance frameworks in Global South countries are contributing to the development and deployment of DPIs to generate economic benefits and promote sustainable development.
Explore innovative approaches to leverage Global South data through DPI for equitable monetisation, such as the DPI for Democratic Data Monetisation (DPI-DDM) model.
Strengthen the voice of developing nations in multilateral governance initiatives for DPI, data governance and digital transformation.
61st Session of the Human Rights Council Side Event:
Regulating Corporate Power in the Era of Deregulation: Launching the South Centre and FES 2026 Report for the UN Legally Binding Instrument
Co-organized by the South Centre and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Geneva Office
Date: 26 March 2026
Time: 12:00 – 13:00 CET
Venue: Room Concordia 1, Palais des Nations, Geneva
The South Centre, in collaboration with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Geneva, is pleased to invite you to the launch of our new report The UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights: Regulating Corporate Power in the Era of Deregulation.
This study examines how the UN Legally Binding Instrument (LBI) serves as a vital tool to preserve state sovereignty and to ensure the primacy of human rights in the era of deregulation.
Join us in Geneva to discuss concrete solutions to “justice paralysis” and corporate impunity.
Sovereignty and self-determination over natural resources in times of conflicts, climate change and (neo)colonialism
Side-Event to the 61st Session of the Human Rights Council
Co-organized by the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development (Special Procedures, United Nations Human Rights Council) and South Centre
10 March 2026, 12-1pm
Concordia 1, Building A, Palais des Nations, Geneva
As we navigate the 61st session of the Human Rights Council, the South Centre and the Special Rapporteur on the right to development are convening a critical discussion on the intersection of resource sovereignty, conflict, and (neo)colonialism.
In an era defined by climate instability and geopolitical shifts, the right to self-determination over natural resources has never been more relevant. We are honoured to host a distinguished panel of ambassadors and experts to explore these challenges.
The webinar will present key findings from the South Centre’s Antimicrobial Resistance impact report, Elevating Global South Voices in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance: The South Centre’s Impact and Lessons Learned (2018–2025), implemented with the support of the Fleming Fund (UK Department of Health and Social Care).
The discussion will be framed within the evolving global AMR landscape, particularly following the 2024 UN Political Declaration on AMR, and will reflect on how to sustain and scale Global South – led engagement in multilateral processes.
Implementing Evidence-based Antimicrobial Prescribing to Combat AMR and Strengthen Global Stewardship – The GUIDE Framework in Action
Monday, 17 November 2025, 12:00-13:00 CET/11:00-12:00 UK/06:00-7:00 EDT/15:30-16:30 IST
Join us for the launch of a new evidence-based tool to enhance antimicrobial prescribing and stewardship. Share your feedback to help us strengthen its value and usability for global practice.
South Centre in collaboration with IT for Change and Center of Policy Research and Governance, with the support of the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in Geneva
Monday, 17 November 2025, 13:15 – 14:15, Palais des Nations, Room VIII, Geneva
Held in preparation for the AI Impact Summit 2026, this event will discuss how countries can work together to ensure Artificial Intelligence supports inclusive and sustainable development, strengthens national and regional capacities, and promotes equitable participation in global AI governance.
Are countries maximizing the policy space they have to grant compulsory licenses to improve access to medicines?
Webinar
Date & Time: Thursday, 13 November 2025, 13h-14h30 (Geneva) / 7h-8h30 (Boston) / 23h-00h30 (Melbourne)
Join the Launch of a Report onCompulsory Licensing Provisions in the National Patent Legislation of 15 Middle-Income Countries, published by the South Centre and the Global Economic Governance Initiative of Boston University Global Development Policy Center.
Co-organized by the National Commission on International Trade & Health Studies (NCITHS), Thailand together with the International Trade & Health Programme (ITH), South Centre & other partners
The Role of the Human Rights Council in Advancing the Right to Health: From Guidance to Implementation
Side Event to the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Organized by the South Centre
Date & Time: 25 September 2025, 15h00-16h00
Venue: Room Concordia 1, Palais des Nations, Geneva
This side event to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council is convened to discuss the critical implementation gap at domestic level of oversight over state obligations related to health, placing the voices and priorities of the Global South at the center of the discourse to chart a course for a more effective approach to advancing the right to health for all.
Mapping Africa’s Digital Trade: AfCFTA, JSI & AU AI Strategy
WTO Public Forum Working Session 49
Organizer: South Centre
18 September 202510:45-12:00 Room S3
This session explores how Africa is shaping its digital trade future through the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol, engagement in WTO e-commerce discussions, and the Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy. It will examine the region’s priorities on data governance, local value creation, and inclusive digital markets, while assessing risks of fragmentation across regimes. Speakers will consider how African countries can assert greater agency in global digital rulemaking and align trade, technology, and development strategies. The session offers a forward-looking perspective on what a fair and inclusive global digital trade architecture could look like from an African and Global South perspective.
