Development Must Start With People’s Choices, UN Expert Says

Deva’s report to the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council examines what meaningful participation involves, the conditions needed to support it and the value it brings to decision-making.

People should have a genuine say in the economic decisions that shape their lives, with the freedom to choose development priorities and help design the policies and projects affecting their communities, a UN human rights expert has said. Surya Deva, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to development, warned that inclusive and sustainable development depends on active, free and meaningful participation, making people's involvement a basic requirement for progress.

His message comes as States and other organisations mark the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, an occasion he described as an opportunity to embrace participatory development. The right to development gives equal importance to the results achieved and the process used to reach them, meaning that decisions about economic progress must give people a meaningful role from the outset.

Communities Need More Than an Invitation to Comment

Deva's report to the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council examines what meaningful participation involves, the conditions needed to support it and the value it brings to decision-making. He pointed to repeated examples of decisions being made from the top down, accompanied by symbolic consultations that give communities little influence over development policies, programmes and projects.

The distinction between consultation and participation sits at the centre of his message, with genuine participation requiring decision-makers to share power and recognise people's right to choose their development priorities. Governments and other actors must create conditions that allow individuals and communities to help shape proposals, giving them a role in designing development that serves the common good rather than simply asking for their views.

A Stronger Public Voice Can Protect People and Nature

The benefits of participation extend beyond giving communities a chance to speak, according to Deva, who identified more inclusive economic development, ecological sustainability and stronger relationships within society as potential gains. Bringing people into decisions can help build mutual trust and social cohesion, supporting a development process that takes account of the people it is supposed to serve.

For governments and businesses, meaningful participation can help identify potential harm to human rights or the environment before it occurs, improving their ability to manage risks. Deva linked the lack of meaningful public involvement to economic development that has failed to be inclusive or sustainable, underlining the importance of treating community participation as part of responsible decision-making.

Sharing Power Requires a Properly Designed Process

The report provides specific guidance for the institutions and organisations involved in development governance, including States, national human rights institutions, UN entities, multilateral development banks, companies and civil society organisations. Its focus is on helping these actors make participation a practical part of their work, supported by an environment in which people can contribute freely and meaningfully.

Concerns about additional costs, slower decisions and greater complexity can discourage institutions from opening up their processes, but Deva said most of these challenges can be addressed through suitable participation design. He argued that the benefits of genuine public involvement would compensate for losses in efficiency, placing shared decision-making at the heart of development that responds to people's needs and protects their future.