South Centre Statement during the 60th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council
General Debate under Item 3
Geneva, 19 September 2025
At the 60th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC60), the South Centre delivered a statement welcoming the crucial update to the technical guidance on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity.
We are encouraged that the guidance moves beyond technical corrections to address the deep-seated root causes of why women and girls still die during childbirth. In our statement, we highlighted several key advancements:
🔹 An Intersectional Approach: The guidance rightfully identifies structural racism and discrimination as fundamental factors, providing a strong basis for targeted interventions.
🔹 A “Human Rights Economy” Framework: It broadens accountability to international financial institutions and corporations, emphasising that the global financial architecture—including sovereign debt, austerity measures, and healthcare privatisation—must be reformed to prioritise human rights.
🔹 Accountability and Reparations: The call for independent accountability mechanisms and a reparation fund for victims correctly reframes preventable maternal deaths from unfortunate accidents to serious injustices requiring systemic solutions.
These principles are intrinsically linked to the realisation of the Right to Development. A global environment that respects this right is essential for funding public health and creating societies where women and girls can thrive.
The challenge now is implementation. We call on all states, international financial institutions, and partners to fully fund and realise this new, rights-based and justice-oriented guidance.
The South Centre carries out multiple activities to support developing countries with policy-oriented research, inputs and advice for negotiations and capacity building. The Report summarizes the South Centre’s activities in 2024 and highlights the contexts in which they were conducted as well as the objectives that were pursued with their implementation.
Inputs to the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development Study on Climate Justice, Sustainability, and the Right to Development
February 2025
The South Centre inputs to the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development Study on Climate Justice, Sustainability, and the Right to Development makes a call for upholding Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDRRC) in ensuring a just transition, protecting the human rights of the most affected populations and reforming Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms that threaten climate action.
Statement to the 10th Session of the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development
28 October 2024
The South Centre is participating in the 10th Session of the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development at UN Geneva, exploring innovative solutions for the full realization of the Right to Development in the Global South.
Statement by the South Centre at the 57th Session of the Human Rights Council on “Realizing the right to development: The case for a United Nations framework convention on international tax cooperation”
September 2024
At the 57th session of the Human Rights Council, South Centre outlined the possible content of protocols to the United Nations Tax Convention for taxing Illicit Financial Flows & Digital Services.
Statement to the 25th Session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development
South Centre
13 – 17 May 2024
The 25th Session of the UN Working Group on RtD is taking place at UN Geneva this week. Realizing the human right to development supports the achievement of the 2030Agenda and the enjoyment of all human rights.
The South Centre carries out multiple activities to support developing countries with policy-oriented research, inputs and advice for negotiations and capacity building. See a summary of the South Centre’s activities in the Annual Report 2023.
The Right to Development: Principles, Realization and Challenges
By H.E. Mr. Ali Bahreini
The main theme of the 54th session of the Human Rights Council revolves around economic, social, and cultural rights, with a particular focus on the right to development. This article addresses the importance of the right to development, the Iranian perspective on it, and the impact of various challenges on its full and effective realization.
The South Centre appreciates the presentation of the thematic reports, and the reports of the Working Groups on the Right to Development and Private Military and Security Companies.
The South Centre will continue supporting developing countries for the achievement of these objectives and the provision of innovative solutions for tackling the unique challenges faced by developing and least developed countries.
Statement during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development
54th regular session of the Human Rights Council
South Centre
20 September 2023
The South Centre, as an intergovernmental organization of developing countries, welcomes the report prepared by the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development on his vision for reinvigorating the right to development.
We thank the Special Rapporteur once again for considering the research undertaken and inputs provided by the South Centre in his report, and would like to reiterate our strong support for his important work and mandate.
Statement during the Interactive Dialogue with the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development
54th regular session of the Human Rights Council
South Centre
20 September 2023
The South Centre, as an intergovernmental organization of developing countries, welcomes the annual report presented by the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development.
We would like to express support to the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development, highlighting that international cooperation and solidarity among States are indispensable means to achieve the objectives set out in the Declaration of the Right to Development.
