FDL Backs Push for People-Centered Development at HRC60

The Feminist Diplomacy Lab joined a coalition of feminist and human rights organizations in calling for a fundamental shift in the global approach to development. The call was made in a joint statement delivered during an interactive dialogue at the 60th Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC60).

The statement, presented by the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI), addressed the Expert Mechanism on the right to development, emphasizing the urgent need for systemic change. The coalition, which also includes the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID), ILGA World, and the Women's Major Group, argued that genuine development is being severely hampered by shrinking international cooperation, unfulfilled financial commitments, and unjust trade policies.

The organizations highlighted that current economic models are exacerbating conflict, occupation, and the climate crisis, creating significant barriers to achieving human rights for all.

"A solid people-centered approach to the right to development must challenge the dominant global economic paradigm and definition of economic growth, [and] prioritise resource distribution within and between states," the statement asserted. It praised the Expert Mechanism's focus on collective rights, accountability for international development policies, and its recognition of the systemic human rights violations faced by peoples subjected to colonialism.

Nearly four decades after the Declaration on the Right to Development, the coalition stressed that the time for rhetoric is over. They urged Member States to translate their promises into concrete policies and take long-overdue actions to secure a just, equitable, and sustainable future for everyone.

Read the full statement here: https://www.sexualrightsinitiative.org/news/2025-sep/hrc-60-joint-statement-interactive-dialogue-expert-mechanism-right-development 

With our thanks to SRI for the visuals…