UN official highlights equal right to development in pursuing global human rights governance

Global human rights governance must address the man-made and natural challenges facing today's world, building a commitment to an equal right to development for all, a United Nations (UN) official said at the 2026 Forum on Global Human Rights Governance in Beijing.

Surya Deva, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development, highlighted the significant role of upholding the equal right to development when addressing the opening ceremony of the forum on Thursday.

"In my remarks today, I will propose that the global human rights governance should ensure a dignified life within planetary boundaries for every human being everywhere. However, the current international order is leaving behind too many people and is destroying the environment. That is where the right to development offers practical tools to achieve inclusive, sustainable and participatory development," he said.

The UN official focused on three interconnected crises and challenges that collectively reflect the flaws and inadequacies of the current international order, namely uneven development among and within countries, climate change, and, in particular, global conflicts.

"The world is witnessing the highest number of conflicts ever seen since the Second World War. These conflicts are increasing the cost of living, resulting in loss of lives, destroying homes and infrastructure, and triggering forced displacement and causing environmental pollution. The conflicts are on the rise despite the world military expenditure reaching about 2.9 trillion dollars in 2025. Therefore, this investment in war economy is not securing us peace," he said.

Deva said that ensuring the right to development is fundamental to changing course away from a world filled with hostilities and towards upholding human dignity.

"The right to development is a transformative human right. It is transformative because it challenges injustices. Both historical injustices during the colonial times and the current ones. The right to development provides a road map to achieve holistic development, not merely economic development, but also social, political and cultural development of every human being and all peoples together. The right to development also demands the creation of an international order which is fair and just for all countries," he said.

The two-day forum has gathered more than 400 participants from over 100 countries and international organizations, including the United Nations.

In addition to an opening ceremony and a plenary session, the event will also feature five sub-forums to discuss topics including the human rights implications of the Global Governance Initiative, safeguarding the right to development in the age of AI: Emerging challenges and opportunities, and modernization and people's free and comprehensive development, according to an earlier announcement of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

UN official highlights equal right to development in pursuing global human rights governance

Delegates highly commented on China's Global Governance Initiative (GGI) at the 2026 Forum on Global Human Rights Governance which opened in Beijing on Thursday, exploring new approaches to shared challenges.

Marking the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development, the two-day event focuses on advancing human rights through development and will foster discussions on global human rights governance issues.

Over 400 participants from over 100 countries and international organizations, including the United Nations (UN) are in attendance.

Ole Doering, professor with Hunan Normal University in China stated that the growing complexity of the world demands a new management theory, and that China's GGI opens new options for UN development.

"In the past, the world was complicated, but not as complex as today. We need an entirely new management theory of how to deal with that. That goes into the governance task that we have globally. I think what China is doing now is to open the new option for the development of the United Nations through the Global Governance Initiative," said the professor.

Muhammad Asif Noor, executive director of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies, an autonomous, nonpartisan research think tank based in Islamabad, Pakistan, highlighted China's important and systematic diplomatic role in resolving conflicts in troubled regions around the world.

"China's role in the whole world is very important, especially in the conflicting areas and regions. China is systematically, and diplomatically resolving the conflicts among the nations," he said.

Chang Jian, director of the Center for Study of Human Rights at China's Nankai University, emphasized that through dialogue and shared experiences, building common understanding and solidarity is what matters most for human rights.

"We exchange ideas and share experiences. Through dialogue, we broaden our perspectives and build common understanding. On that basis, we emphasize solidarity, cooperation and shared development. I believe that is what matters most," Chang said.

Robert Persaud, foreign secretary of the Guyanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, stated that despite different systems and views, respecting people's fundamental rights is non-negotiable.

"We may have different perspectives, different views on different subjects. We have different systems which have been operated. But respecting people's fundamental rights, I think that's something we should not compromise on," said Persaud.

The forum is jointly hosted by China's Information Office of the State Council and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Global experts highlight Global Governance Initiative's role in address challenges