The right to development A/RES/68/158 Deeply concerned about the negative impacts of the global economic and financial crises on the realization of the right to development, Recognizing 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, Recognizing also that Member States should cooperate with each other in ensuring development and eliminating obstacles to development, that the international community should promote effective international cooperation for the realization of the right to development and the elimination of obstacles to development and that lasting progress towards the implementation of the right to development requires effective development policies at the national level, as well as equitable economic relations and a favourable economic environment at the international level, Recognizing further that poverty is an affront to human dignity, Recognizing that extreme poverty and hunger are one of the greatest global threats and require the collective commitment of the international community for its eradication, pursuant to Millennium Development Goal 1, and therefore calling upon the international community, including the Human Rights Council, to contribute towards achieving that goal, Recognizing also that historical injustices have undeniably contributed to the poverty, underdevelopment, marginalization, social exclusion, economic disparity, instability and insecurity that affect many people in different parts of the world, in particular in developing countries, Stressing that poverty eradication is one of the critical elements in the promotion and realization of the right to development and that poverty is a multifaceted problem that requires a multifaceted and integrated approach in addressing economic, political, social, environmental and institutional dimensions at all levels, especially in the context of the Millennium Development Goal of halving, by 2015, the proportion of the world’s people whose income is less than one United States dollar a day and the proportion of people who suffer from hunger, Takes note of the consolidated report of the Secretary-General and the 1. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 12 which provides information on the activities undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights relating to the promotion and realization of the right to development; Recognizes the significance of all the events held to commemorate the 2. twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, 13 including the panel discussion on the theme “The way forward in the realization of the right to development: between policy and practice”, held during the eighteenth session of the Human Rights Council; Supports the realization of the mandate of the Working Group on the Right 3. to Development, as renewed by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 9/3 of _______________ 12 13 A/HRC/24/27. Resolution 41/128, annex. 3/9