human rights and development: an introduction

MEDIA AND HUMAN RIGHTS WORKSHOPFEBRUARY 23, 2012

SIOBHÁN MCINERNEY-LANKFORDWORLD BANK NORDIC TRUST FUND

Human Rights and Development:

An Introduction

Purpose of presentation: an introduction to the following themes

o Links between human rights and development

o Approaches to integrating human rights in development

o Perspectives on challenges and opportunities

o World Bank approach o Nordic Trust Fund

Challenges of integrating HR and development

Normative, legal and institutional frameworks remain separate Few entry points identified for HR in development instruments /

analysis Uneven policy commitment to link HR and development Potential political sensitivity Even where HR uptake exists

not systematic or comprehensive rarely anchored in HR treaties more principles-based limited expertise on HRBA methodology research needed links between HR and economic outcomes data shortage and lack of HR measurement

Origins of emerging convergence between human rights and development

Concerns about accountability in development

Reevaluation of development paradigm (Sen; Voices of the Poor) and focus on poverty 2000/2001

Poverty as absence of freedom and deprivation of rights (not just economic condition

Rise of normative approaches (esp. bilaterals) and HRBA (UN)

Emerging view on: need for accountability in service

delivery link between participation and

sustainability increasing overlap in development

activities and coverage of HR treaties

Legal and policy linkages

Soft law efforts to link the two, e.g. RtD 1968 Proclamation of Tehran• 1986 Declaration on the Right to Development • 1993 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action

• More recent linkages:• 2000 Millennium Declaration, but MDGs are HR silent• 2008 Accra Agenda for Action (aid effectiveness)• 2010 Millennium Outcome Document• 2011 Busan Outcome Document

Justifications for integrating HR in development

Human Rights-based Approaches

Human rights an explicit

goal of development cooperation

Human Rights-based Approaches

Human rights an explicit

goal of development cooperation

Human Rights

Mainstreaming

Mainstream human rights

into aid interventions

across sectors.

May include “do no harm”

Human Rights

Mainstreaming

Mainstream human rights

into aid interventions

across sectors.

May include “do no harm”

Human Rights

Dialogue

Foreign policy and aid

dialogues include human rights issues

(may involve conditionality.)

Human Rights

Dialogue

Foreign policy and aid

dialogues include human rights issues

(may involve conditionality.)

Human Rights Projects

Projects or programmes

directly target the realization of specific rights,

groups or support human

rights organizations

Human Rights Projects

Projects or programmes

directly target the realization of specific rights,

groups or support human

rights organizations

Implicit Human Rights Work

Agencies don’t use explicit HR language but work on similar

areas (e.g. “protection”

“empowerment” or general “good governance”

Implicit Human Rights Work

Agencies don’t use explicit HR language but work on similar

areas (e.g. “protection”

“empowerment” or general “good governance”

Integrating Human Rights in Development Cooperation Integrating Human Rights in Development Cooperation

HR as primary

goal

HR as implicit outcome

Different donor approaches to integrating human rights

in development, can be overlapping / combined

Source: OECD DAC Human Rights Task Team

UN Approach to HR and Development: HRBAsCommon Understanding 2003

World Bank approach to human rights and development

No human rights policy Focus: economic approaches, evidence-based

methodology, but growing interest in distributional questions; redress mechanism

Challenges: Legal constraints of IBRD Articles of Agreement Lack of empirical evidence linking HR and ec. growth /

outcomes Different views among member countries

Approach: Implicit support through activities: institutions, justice,

gender, health, education, social protection, disabilities Uptake of human rights principles – participation,

accountability, equality (equity)

World Bank Nordic Trust Fund

Nordic Trust Fund – knowledge and learning initiative on HR to help WB develop an informed view on HR and how they relate to Bank operations

Supporting countries, not monitoring, assessing or compliance-oriented

Not promoting or based on HRBA 2 track program

Studies and partnerships 28 grants, some good results

emerging

Priority areas for the way forward – based on NTF experience

smcinerney@worldbank.orgNTF : http://worldbank.org/nordictrustfund

Thank you