The CEO and experts of the FODASUN met with Prof. Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development, in Geneva on September 21, 2023.
At the beginning of this meeting, the CEO of the FODASUN gave a brief explanation of the institution and its current activities. In the following, detailed explanations were given to Mr. Deva about the role of unilateral coercive measures and the pressures of Western countries in delaying Iran’s development. It was also emphasized on the negative role of sanctions in the development process of Iran’s civil society, which prevents them from appearing in international arenas in order to defend the inalienable rights of the Iranian people. Finally, with the introduction of the FODASUN’s international conference, he was invited to be one of the speakers on this year’s panel.
Mr. Surya Deva, the special rapporteur on the right to development, expressing his satisfaction at the opportunity to meet, said that during the past week, he had met with Iranians who all presented similar reports of the worsening effect of sanctions on Iran’s development process. He stated that by being in Iran and observing the negative and intrusive effect of the cruel sanctions against the Iranian nation, he can submit reports to the Human Rights Council. Besides welcoming the participation in this year’s conference of the FODASUN, he stated that he can travel to Iran in the form of an official invitation from one of the government bodies or in the form of an invitation from an Iranian university or NGO.
Mr. Surya Deva from India assumed the role of UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development on May 1, 2023, succeeding Mr. Saad Al Farargi. Deva is a professor at Macquarie Law School in Australia and the director of the Environmental Law Center of the same university. He has done researches in the fields of business and human rights, comparative constitution, international law, human rights, sustainable development, climate change and gender equality. Deva has served as a member of the UN Working Group on Trade and Human Rights (2016-2022). He has advised UN agencies, governments, national human rights institutions, multinational corporations, trade unions and civil society organizations on business and human rights issues.