A/RES/53/155 Page 3 Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the right to development,4 prepared pursuant to General Assembly resolution 52/136 of 12 December 1997, 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General; 2. Reaffirms the importance of the right to development, as established in the Declaration on the Right to Development,3 and reaffirmed in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993,5 for every human person and for all peoples in all countries, in particular the developing countries, as an integral part of fundamental human rights, as well as the potential contribution its realization could make to the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms; 3. Recognizes that the Declaration on the Right to Development constitutes an integral link between the Universal Declaration of Human Rights1 and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, through its elaboration of a holistic vision integrating economic, social and cultural rights with civil and political rights; 4. Reiterates the importance of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action which reaffirms the right to development, as established by the Declaration on the Right to Development, as a universal and inalienable right and an integral part of fundamental human rights and also reaffirms that the human person is the central subject of development; 5. Reaffirms that democracy, development and respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development, are interdependent and mutually reinforcing, and in this context affirms that: (a) Development experiences of countries reflect differences with regard to both progress and setbacks, and that the development spectrum has a wide range, not only between countries but also within countries; (b) A number of developing countries have experienced rapid economic growth and remain dynamic partners in the international community; (c) At the same time, the gap between developed and developing countries remains unacceptably wide and developing countries continue to face difficulties in participating in the globalization process and may risk being marginalized and effectively excluded from its benefits; (d) Democracy, which is spreading everywhere, has raised development expectations everywhere, that the non-fulfilment of those expectations risks rekindling non-democratic forces, and that structural reforms which do not take social realities into account could destabilize the processes of democratization; (e) Effective popular participation is an essential component of successful and lasting development; 4 A/53/268. 5 A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III. /...