The People’s Republic of China, through its Embassy near Monrovia in partnership with the Office of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR), on Monday, opened a two-day 1st National Conference on the Right to Development from the 30th to 31st of May, aimed at assessing progress made in the implementation of the United Nations universal declaration on the right to development and articulate challenges and opportunities and provide a recommendation to address the challenges outline at the end of the conference.
The meeting which was convened at the Golden Gate Hotel in Paynesville outside Monrovia, on Monday, May 30, 2022, was jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy and OHCHR. The outcome of the conference will help in sharpening future engagement on the right to development in Liberia and the West African Sub-region.
It brought together Cllr. T. Dempster Brown, Chairman of the Independent National Commission of Human Rights in Liberia, Mr. Uchenna Emelonye, Representative of the UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNCHR) in Liberia, diplomatic corps, UN agencies and international organizations, representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations and the media,
Giving the overview of the gathering, Mr. Uchenna Emelonye, Representative of the UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNCHR) in Liberia, said the right to development is recognizing that development is a comprehensive economic, social, cultural, and political process which aim at constant improvement of the well being of the entire population and of all individuals on the basis of their active, free and meaningful participation in development and in the fair distribution of benefit resulting therefrom.
According to him, the relevant agreements, conventions, recommendations, and other instruments of the United Nations and its specialized agencies concerning the integral development of human beings, economic and social progress, and development of all people including those instruments concerning decolonization, the prevention of decriminalization, respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedom, the maintenance of international peace, and security and further promotion of friendly relegations and co-operation among member states in accordance with the chapter.
Officially opening the conference, Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor through her proxy, legal advisor, Paul Harry launched the 1st National Conference on the Right to Development in Liberia and highlighted the importance of the Right to Development and noted that development is a right, and that right should be taken seriously. He said the right to development is not only the responsibility of the government but other actors and stakeholders of the society to include, the private sector, development partners, and others.
Additionally, Mr. Harry, said the accountability should be implemented to the core while the fight against corruption should be practically enforced with words and deeds.“We will not enjoy development without security and we will not enjoy security without development and we will not enjoy either of them without the respect for the protection of Human Rights “, he stated.
Chinese Embassy to Liberia, H.E. Ren Yisheng expressed his gratitude for the ceremony on the Right to Development in Liberia and extended warm congratulations on the convening of the First Conference on the Right to Development(RTD) in Liberia, and a welcomed the guests attending the event!
He told the gathering that development provides for people’s basic needs and gives them hope for a better life and said the RTD symbolizes dignity and honor, urging stakeholders to implement the spirit of the Declaration and vigorously promote the implementation of the RTD globally.
According to him, Africa is a rich and promising continent, and it is also the continent with the largest concentration of developing countries. Similar historical encounters and common historical missions have closely linked China and Africa.
Accordingly, he explained that China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted by the Organization of African Unity in 1981 stipulates the right to development.
The Chinese Ambassador, speaking further accentuated that all peoples have their own right to economic, social, and cultural development, their freedom and identity are duly respected, and they equally enjoy the common heritage of mankind, adding that individual or collective responsibility to ensure the exercise of the right to development.
“Facing the common development needs, both China and Africa advocate the rights to subsistence and development as the primary basic human rights. We attach equal importance to all categories of human rights, respect the right of each country to choose her own development independently, oppose the politicization of human rights and the practice of double standards, and oppose the use of human rights to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries” Amb. Yisheng noted.
At the same time EU Ambassador, Laurent Delahousse said the EU action plan on human rights and democracy 2020-2024 remains a focus, saying, protecting and promoting human rights is key to the EU development agenda. He said “Respect for human rights and democracy are the best systems of governance to improve human rights and ensure no one is left behind under the right to development”, he remarked.
Cllr. T. Dempster Brown, Chairman of the Independent National Commission of Human Right in Liberia, said Human Rights Commission are concerned about the welfare of the indigenous people, mentioning that what is interesting is that the conference will access the progress made in the implementation of the Right to Development in the country.
Cllr. Brown said the Right to Development is the right of every human to participate and also enjoy the social, and economic aspects of development and stressed that the National budget must be human rights friendly. “It must touch every institution, including education, health, agriculture amongst other things, he said.
The INCHR boss emphasized that “We should remember that in carrying out development the indigenous people must not be forgotten. The people in the rural areas have right to development”, he said, adding that “They must enjoy the resources of this country because they are managing the resources but they are not benefitting we must ensure that the budget is human right friendly and we should not forget about important institutions including agriculture.”
Also remarking at the conference, the National Chairperson of the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, Madam Loretta Pope Kai mentioned that the Right to Development is deserving of all humans, adding that the Sustainable Development Goal SDG has provided some space for partners to meet and provide redress. “Africa remains an opportunity to the wilder world for growth and development, however setting priorities and investing in key “opportunities have remained the key challenge”, she said.
She continued, “In Liberia, we are still investigating little or nothing in education, electricity, road, and the fight against Gender-Based Violence. The issue from the county social development funds is a signal for denying citizens benefits of their right.” Madam Pope Kai noted that the right to development demands us all to focus on the most relevant impact by building nations where peace is the first conduit of development, by ensuring an inclusive society.”
Reported by: Stephen G. Fellajuah
WhatsApp: +231777015294
Email: fellajuahstepheng@gmail.com
