A/RES/56/150 recognizes that, while development facilitates the enjoyment of all human rights, the lack of development may not be invoked to justify the abridgement of internationally recognized human rights; 8. Recognizes that, in order to realize the right to development, national action and international cooperation must reinforce each other in a manner that goes beyond the measures for realizing each individual right, and also recognizes that international cooperation for the realization of the right to development should be conducted in the spirit of a partnership, in full respect for all human rights, which are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated; 9. Also recognizes that, for many developing countries, the realization of the rights to, inter alia, food, health and education may be important development entry points to the realization of the right to development and that, in this context, the concept of a development compact proposed by the independent expert intends to give expression to some basic tenets of the interdependence of all human rights and national ownership of development strategies and programmes, as well as the importance of international cooperation; 10. Notes the ongoing discussion on the question of a suitable permanent follow-up mechanism and the different views expressed thereon in the Working Group, and recognizes the need for a discussion on this issue; 11. Stresses the necessity of establishing, at the national level, an enabling legal, political, economic and social environment for the realization of the right to development, and emphasizes the importance of democratic, participatory, transparent and accountable governance, as well as the need for efficient national mechanisms, such as national human rights commissions, to ensure respect for civil, economic, cultural, political and social rights, without any distinction; 12. Also stresses the need to prevent, address and take effective action against corruption, at both the national and international levels, including by establishing a firm legal structure for eradicating corruption, and urges States to take all necessary measures to that end; 13. Recognizes the importance of the role of the State, civil society, free and independent media, national institutions, the private sector and other relevant institutions in the realization of the right to development, and also recognizes the need to continue discussion on this subject; 14. Affirms the role of women in the process of the realization of the right to development, including their role as active participants in and beneficiaries of development, and the need for further actions in this context to ensure the participation of women on equal terms with men in all fields in the realization of the right to development; 15. Also affirms the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women as effective means to combat poverty, hunger and disease and to stimulate sustainable development, as well as the importance of equal rights and opportunities for women and men, including property rights for women and their access to bank loans, mortgages and other forms of financial credit, taking into account the best practices of microcredit in different parts of the world; 16. Underlines the fact that, in the process of the realization of the right to development, special attention should be given to persons belonging to minorities, whether national, ethnic, religious or linguistic, as well as to persons belonging to vulnerable groups, such as elderly people, indigenous people, persons facing 4