RES/4/5 Globalization and its impact on the full enjoyment of all human rights

Human Rights Council

Resolution 4/5. Globalization and its impact on the full enjoyment of all human rights

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and expressing in particular the need to achieve international cooperation in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without
distinction,

Reaffirming the Declaration on the Right to Development, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 41/128 of 4 December 1986,

Realizing that globalization is not merely an economic process, but that it also has social, political, environmental, cultural and legal dimensions, which have an impact on the full enjoyment of all human rights,

Recognizing that globalization should be guided by the fundamental principles that underpin the corpus of human rights, such as equality, participation, accountability, non‑discrimination, at both the national and international levels, respect for diversity, tolerance and international cooperation and solidarity,

Affirming that, while globalization offers great opportunities for sustained economic growth and development of the world economy and offers new perspectives for the integration of developing countries into the world economy, at present its benefits are very unevenly shared and costs unevenly distributed,

Underlining that developing countries face special difficulties in meeting the challenge of globalization and especially that the least developed countries have remained marginalized in the globalizing world economy,

Deeply concerned at the inadequacy of measures to narrow the widening gap between the developed and the developing countries, which adversely affects the full enjoyment of human rights, particularly in the developing countries,

Underlining that the deep fault line between the rich and the poor that divides human society and the ever-increasing gap between the developed and the developing countries pose a major threat to global prosperity, security and stability,

Recognizing that, while globalization, by its impact on, inter alia, the role of the State, may affect human rights, the promotion and protection of all human rights is first and foremost the responsibility of the State,

Underlining the shared responsibility to assist countries and people excluded from or disadvantaged by globalization,

1. Emphasizes that development should be at the centre of the international economic agenda and that coherence between national development strategies and international obligations and commitments will contribute to the creation of an enabling environment for development, which is conducive to the full realization of all human rights for all;

2. Strongly urges the international community to take stock of the slow progress with regard to the Millennium Development Goals, with a view to taking all necessary and appropriate measures, including enhanced official development assistance, the search for a durable solution to the external debt problem, market access, capacity-building, and dissemination of knowledge and technology, in order to achieve successful integration of developing countries in the global economy;

3. Stresses the need to broaden and strengthen the full and effective participation of developing countries in international economic decision-making and norm-setting with a view to ensuring equitable distribution of growth and sustainable development gains in a globalizing world economy;

4. Underlines the need for the treaty bodies, special rapporteurs/representatives, independent experts and working groups of the Council, within their mandates, to take into consideration the content of the present resolution;

5. Decides to consider this issue again at its future session.

Adopted by a recorded vote of 34 to 13.

31st meeting
30 March 2007

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