SC Side-Event – 61st Human Rights Council, 10 March 2026

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.

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Research Paper 117, September 2020

Data in Legal Limbo: Ownership, sovereignty, or a digital public goods regime?

By Dr. Carlos M. Correa

The legal characterization and design of a legal regime for data poses one of the most important contemporary challenges to law professionals and policy makers. How such a framework is designed matters for what kind of insertion a society will have in the digital economy, and the extent to which a country will be able to benefit from the opportunities opened by big data. The current policy space to devise legal regimes adapted to national circumstances allows countries to seek for new solutions that take into account differences in legal systems, levels of economic and technological development, and national objectives and priorities.

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