NEW YORK - The world is witnessing an emerging "world disorder" marked by economic, environmental and institutional disorder, a UN expert warned today.
"We need an urgent course correction towards a model of planet-centred participatory development to address the current world disorder," said Surya Deva, the Special Rapporteur on the right to development, in his report to the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.
Deva, in his report, highlighted that democratic deficits, economic inequalities, disregard for territorial integrity and sovereign equality, impunity for egregious international crimes, unprincipled and opportunistic multilateralism, geopolitical divides, societal polarisation, institutionalised misinformation networks, instrumentalisation of human rights for myopic political gains, unilateral sanctions, neo-colonial debt traps, corporate capture of the state, private profiting from conflicts and silent takeover of disruptive technologies are all reflective of the current world disorder.
"A model of development that, by design, excludes or marginalises certain individuals or groups from enjoying the benefits of development is anything but development. Equally problematic is the sole focus of development on human beings, because people are part of a planetary ecosystem, and even plants and animals should not be left behind in the process of development," the expert said.
Active, free and meaningful participation in decision-making, which is an essential element of the right to development, should be leveraged to fix the current institutional disorder. The failure of the Security Council to maintain peace and security is directly linked to the unrepresentative character of the permanent membership of the Security Council.
"The international community should see the emerging world disorder as an opportunity to construct a new international order that is not only fair but also fit for purpose in dealing with the 21st century challenges. This would require reforming the Security Council as well as the international financial architecture," the expert said.
In his report, the Special Rapporteur analysed the Sevilla Commitment adopted by States at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, and prepared a balance sheet of achievements and missed opportunities.
"Despite the ongoing disorder, the consensual adoption of the Sevilla Commitment shows that States can still come together to address various global challenges. I propose a roadmap beyond Sevilla to ensure that the financing for development not only reaches the furthest behind first but also preserves harmony with nature," he said.
As part of this roadmap, Deva urged States to leverage additional sources of financing, tame tax avoidance/evasion and illicit financial flows, deliver on debt relief, promote substantive gender equality, pursue development within planetary boundaries, promote responsible business conduct, embrace peace and disarmament, strengthen good governance, and reinforce international cooperation.
