International
development financing: “It’s not just about more resources” – UN human rights
expert
GENEVA (26 May 2015) – The Third International Conference
on Financing for Development should endorse and reinforce a human rights based
approach to development, UN expert Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky has said today,
urging governments worldwide to drum up the necessary resources to ensure that
future international development goals can realistically be met.
The appeal* by the UN Independent Expert on the effects
of foreign debt and human rights comes as States negotiate the outcome document
of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 13-16 July 2015.
“Human rights must be at the core of development
financing to ensure that everybody can enjoy a decent life, free from hunger,
and has access to education, health care, housing and drinking water,” Mr.
Bohoslavsky stressed.
“The Conference should reiterate that the human being is
the central subject of development and should be its active participant and
beneficiary.”
The expert urged negotiators to recognize in the
Conference’s outcome document that unsustainable debt burdens continue to pose
challenges to sustainable development and to the realization of economic,
social and cultural rights.
“While international debt relief for highly
indebted poor countries has been important, most of them are expected to miss
the UN Millennium Development by the end of this year,” he said.
“Unfortunately, some of these countries are again at risk
of falling into a debt trap,” Mr.
Bohoslavsky warned.
“This failure should not be repeated and long-term
solutions to the global problem of unsustainable debt are required, including
for middle-income and highly developed countries.”
The Independent Expert noted that private finance and
businesses enterprises can make an important contribution to sustainable
development; however, he underscored that “the conference should reiterate that
States have to ensure that all investments must comply with relevant social,
environmental and human rights standards, including the Guiding Principles on
Business and Human Rights and the Guiding Principles on Foreign Debt and Human
Rights.”
“Infrastructure projects financed by development loans
have displaced millions of people around the world during the last decade and
affected individuals have not always received adequate compensation,” he said
expressing concern that the environmental and social safeguard procedures of
development banks have not been sufficiently robust to prevent human rights
violations.
Mr. Bohoslavsky also noted that references to equality in
the outcome document should not be limited to gender equality only.
“International
human rights law obliges States to ensure equality and non-discrimination
throughout society, including persons with disabilities, children, members of
minorities and other groups at risk of social exclusion,” he said.
“The Conference’s increased emphasis on curbing illicit
financial follows, tax evasion and tax avoidance will be critical to ensure
that States are able to meet their commitment to devote maximum available
resources to the realization of economic, social and cultural rights,” the
Independent Expert stated.
“However,” he warned, “the current draft is missing more
clear-cut commitments to eliminate banking secrecy, to protect journalists and
whistle-blowers exposing corruption or tax evasion from reprisals, and a
measurable target for the reduction of illicit financial flows.”
The expert appreciated that the draft outcome document
calls for a fair, efficient and timely restructuring of public debt based on
the principle of shared responsibility, but reminded negotiators that “debt
restructuring processes should also ensure that States can fulfil their human
rights obligations.”
The Independent Expert recommended, the Conference should
support UNCTAD’s work on sovereign debt workouts and the UN Guiding Principles
on Foreign Debt and Human Rights.
“We need to reconcile sometimes conflicting obligations
of States: repayment of debt and respect for human rights,” Mr. Bohoslavsky
noted.
“International law has the tools available to carry out this delicate
task and more attention should be paid to them.”
“I hope that the Conference will also address the problem
of vulture funds,” he said. “Certain hedge funds should not be allowed to
undermine solutions to sovereign debt crises at the detriment of cooperative
bondholders and people living in affected countries.”
“I endorse as well the suggestions by the Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights to make the final declaration of the
conference more compatible with international human rights norms and
standards,” he concluded.
(*) Check the Independent Expert’s detailed comments on
the revised draft outcome document:
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/IEDebt/Paper3FFD22May2015.pdf
ENDS
Mr. Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky (Argentina) was appointed as
Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and human rights by the UN
Human Rights Council on 8 May 2014.
Before, he worked as a Sovereign Debt Expert for the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) where he coordinated an Expert
Group on Responsible Sovereign Lending and Borrowing. Learn more, log on to:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Development/IEDebt/Pages/IEDebtIndex.aspx
The Independent Experts are part of what is known as the
Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.
Special Procedures, the largest
body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name
of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that
address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of
the world.
Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not
UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from
any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Business/Pages/Tools.aspx
UN Guiding Principles on Foreign Debt and Human Rights:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Development/IEDebt/Pages/GuidingPrinciples.aspx
OHCHR’s analysis of the draft outcome document:
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Development/CommentsOnFFD.pdf
For more information and media requests, please contact
Gunnar Theissen (+41 22 917 9321 / gtheissen@ohchr.org) or write to
ieforeigndebt@ohchr.org
For media inquiries related to other UN independent
experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917
9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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