Zimbabwe is honoured to join the international community in commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development. The Declaration affirmed a fundamental principle: development is a human right, and every individual and nation must have the opportunity to participate in and benefit from development. Forty years on, this principle remains highly relevant. Poverty, inequality, climate change, debt pressures and unequal access to technology continue to constrain the development prospects of many developing countries. Zimbabwe therefore calls for strengthened international solidarity, greater access to affordable development finance, technology transfer and meaningful participation of developing countries.