A/RES/55/108 Stressing the importance of creating an economic, political, social, cultural and legal environment that will enable people to achieve social development, Affirming the need to apply a gender perspective in the implementation of the right to development, inter alia, by ensuring that women play an active role in the development process, Emphasizing that the empowerment of women and their full participation on the basis of equality in all spheres of society is fundamental for development, Underlining the fact that the realization of the right to development requires effective development policies at the national level, as well as equitable economic relations and a favourable economic environment at the international level, Welcoming in this regard the adoption by the General Assembly of the Agenda for Development, 4 which declares that development is one of the main priorities of the United Nations and which aims at invigorating a renewed and strengthened partnership for development, based on the imperatives of mutual benefits and genuine interdependence, Noting with concern that the Declaration on the Right to Development is insufficiently disseminated and should be taken into account, as appropriate, in bilateral and multilateral cooperation programmes, national development strategies and policies and activities of international organizations, Recalling the need for coordination and cooperation throughout the United Nations system for a more effective promotion and realization of the right to development, Underlining the important role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the promotion and protection of the right to development, as mandated in paragraph 4 (c) of General Assembly resolution 48/141 of 20 December 1993, Recalling its resolution 54/175 of 17 December 1999, Taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/5 of 13 April 2000, 5 Welcoming the report of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on the Right to Development on its second session, 6 including the proposed strategy contained therein, and welcoming in particular the recommendation that a follow-up mechanism should be established to ensure promotion and implementation of the Declaration on the Right to Development, 1. Reaffirms the importance of the right to development for every human person and all peoples in all countries, in particular the developing countries, as an integral part of their fundamental human rights, as well as the potential contribution that its realization could make to the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms; 2. Recognizes that the passage of more than fifty years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights3 demands the strengthening of efforts to 4 Resolution 51/240, annex. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2000, Supplement No. 3 and corrigendum (E/2000/23 and Corr.1), chap. II, sect. A. 6 E/CN.4/1998/29. 5 2