Statement by India under Agenda Item 4.3 (Consideration of contributions made by States at the national, regional and international levels to the implementation of the right to development and on the implications of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development) at the 20^th Session of the Working Group on the Right to Development (29^th April to 03^rd May 2019) delivered by Sh. Animesh Choudhury, First Secretary on 29^th April 2019.

Mr. Chair,

         India believes that it is imperative to recognize the Right to Development as a distinct, universal, inalienable and fundamental human right that is applicable to all people and on equal footing as civil and political rights for sustainable peace and prosperity across the world.

2. India’s commitment towards the realization and implementation of the Right to Development are second to none. This is reflected in the Constitution of India that guarantees its citizens fundamental political and civil rights and provides for the progressive realization and enforcement of economic, social and cultural rights. India’s engagement with the global discourse on human rights has always favoured an inclusive and constructive approach based on dialogue, consultation and cooperation.

3. Development partnership occupies a paramount place in India’s foreign policy. India's external development assistance programmes in developing countries have increased significantly in their scope and coverage in the past few years. The assistance is based on two main pillars; first, development cooperation is rooted in the idea of partnership that is working for mutual benefit and mutual prosperity. Second pillar of India’s development cooperation is that our partners determine and decide the priorities and contours of their development projects. This fundamentally differentiates our “partnership model” from the traditional “donor-recipient model”.

4. Based on this understanding, we ensure that our cooperation is extended on the request received from friendly countries. The roadmap of this cooperation is drawn in a transparent manner. The core objective of India’s Development Cooperation is to create lasting public goods through sharing of adequate, affordable and adaptable technologies. The focus is also on enhancing local capacities so that our partners can further improve upon the benefits of this cooperation.

7. India attaches great importance to the Right to Development as a vehicle for improving Human Rights and will continue to constructively work towards its realization and implementation.

Thank You.