Rights-Based Approach Principles

The rights-based approach (RBA) has marked a new approach to development. Looking at development as a set of human rights that must be fulfilled implied the following points pertinent to any human right. Following are some of the principles that come with the new Human Rights frame of reference . [1]United Nations Philippines. Rights-Based Approach to Development Programming: Training Manual. July 2002, p. 31.

Universality

Human rights apply to everyone everywhere and under any circumstances! “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights [2]Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 1. http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/ .”  The universality aspect is what distinguishes human rights from other acquired rights such as citizenship rights and contractual rights. In that sense, human rights are “inalienable in that they cannot be taken away from someone or voluntarily given up.” [3]Ljungman, Cecilia M., COWI. Applying a Rights-Based Approach to Development: Concepts and Principles, Conference Paper: The Winners and Losers from Rights-Based Approaches to Development. P. 6. … Continue reading

Non-Discrimination and Equality

“Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.[4]Fundar – Centro De Analisis e Investigacion, International Human Rights Internship Program, International Budget Project; 2004. Dignity Counts: A guide to using budget analysis to advance human … Continue reading ” It is important to note 8 that, in seeking to achieve equality, states might need to have affirmative action programs to help bring equality to traditionally marginalized and disadvantaged groups. Equality in development may require us to utilize differential treatment of disadvantaged groups that have endured traditional and systemic discrimination. For instance, the language barrier has been used to discriminate against some indigenous groups who, to get a government or private job, must function in another language than their indigenous one. Another example is African Americans who suffered denials of their human rights because of their race.

Indivisibility

Rights are indivisible and should be taken holistically. No right is more important than another. For instance, we cannot negotiate with one group to get some rights and let go of other rights. The whole idea about rights is that they must be delivered. In other words, there is an obligation to give these rights to their right-holders. Using RBA for development, we might set priorities to fulfill rights, but it does not mean ignoring other rights.

Interdependence and Interrelatedness

All human rights are closely interrelated and interdependent and affect one another. The right to education affects the right to work, good health, and vice versa. This principle helps us link the root causes of problems to the symptoms of the problem.

Participation [5]Ljungman, Cecilia M., COWI. Applying a Rights-Based Approach to Development: Concepts and Principles, Conference Paper: The Winners and Losers from Rights-Based Approaches to Development. P. 13. … Continue reading

Participation is an essential right stated in the first article of the UN Declaration on the Right to Development. It means that everyone is entitled to freely fully contribute to, participate in, and enjoy their communities’ political, economic, social, and cultural development.[6]Declaration On The Right To Development Adopted By General Assembly Resolution 41/128 Of 4 December 1986. Article #1. . The right to participate needs to be protected and guaranteed by the state 10 and other entities.

The Rule of Law [7]Ljungman, Cecilia M., COWI. Applying a Rights-Based Approach to Development: Concepts and Principles, Conference Paper: The Winners and Losers from Rights-Based Approaches to Development. P. 15. … Continue reading

Protecting rights requires strong legislation and an independent judicial system to ensure that the law is fair and applied to all people.

Accountability

This principle is another key one for human rights. All people have rights and are called right holders. The people or entities obliged to deliver and ensure these rights are called duty bearers. We can think of anyone as a right holder as well as a duty bearer. However, most of the time, duty-bearers are the states responsible for protecting people’s rights and their access to these rights. Most of the time, states are accountable to people and the international community for what they do – or do not do – to protect and deliver human rights in their countries. RBA also recognizes that other non-state parties could be duty bearers.

Accountability occurs by having the state as the principal duty bearers do the following :

● Accepts responsibility for the impact it has on people’s lives;
● Co-operates by providing information, undertaking transparent processes, and hearing
people’s views; and,
● Responds adequately to those views (UNDP, 2000).

This last principle, accountability, is central in the rights-based approach as a framework for social justice advocacy [8]AWID, A rights-Based Approach to Development, P. 3. Facts and Issues; Women’s Rights and Economic Change, No. 1, August 2002. http://www.awid.org/publications/primers/factsissues1.pdf . . The accountability principle has contributed the biggest 13 part in helping development workers to establish their involvement in politics as a legitimate activity. Advocacy derives from this principle to engage citizen groups in the political process and frame the development process as a political one.

3rd Chapter Index

References

References
↑1 United Nations Philippines. Rights-Based Approach to Development Programming: Training Manual. July 2002, p. 31.
↑2 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 1. http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/
↑3 Ljungman, Cecilia M., COWI. Applying a Rights-Based Approach to Development: Concepts and Principles, Conference Paper: The Winners and Losers from Rights-Based Approaches to Development. P. 6. November 2004. www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/idpm/research/events/february2005/documents/Ljungman_000.doc
↑4 Fundar – Centro De Analisis e Investigacion, International Human Rights Internship Program, International Budget Project; 2004. Dignity Counts: A guide to using budget analysis to advance human rights, p. 11. 2004. Ibid, Article 2
↑5 Ljungman, Cecilia M., COWI. Applying a Rights-Based Approach to Development: Concepts and Principles, Conference Paper: The Winners and Losers from Rights-Based Approaches to Development. P. 13. November 2004.
↑6 Declaration On The Right To Development Adopted By General Assembly Resolution 41/128 Of 4 December 1986. Article #1.
↑7 Ljungman, Cecilia M., COWI. Applying a Rights-Based Approach to Development: Concepts and Principles, Conference Paper: The Winners and Losers from Rights-Based Approaches to Development. P. 15. November 2004.
↑8 AWID, A rights-Based Approach to Development, P. 3. Facts and Issues; Women’s Rights and Economic Change, No. 1, August 2002. http://www.awid.org/publications/primers/factsissues1.pdf