A Human Rights-Based Approach March 2018 · HRA cont’d Three main rationales for a human-rights...
Transcript of A Human Rights-Based Approach March 2018 · HRA cont’d Three main rationales for a human-rights...
A Human Rights-Based Approach
March 2018
Vincenza Nazzari, Director of Education
Jean-Sébastien Vallée, Senior Education Specialist
Equitas
Presentation outline
• What is a human rights-based
approach (HRBA)?
• Donors and HRBA
• Canada’s Official Development Assistance
Accountability Act (2008) and HRBA
• Canada’s Feminist International Assistance
Policy (2017) and HRBA
• Human rights and the environment
• Opportunities moving forward
What is HRBA?
A conceptual framework that:
• equates development to the realization of all
human rights for all
• is based on international human rights
standards and aims to promote and protect
human rights
• views development as human development
and socio-economic development
• emphasizes a more holistic, participatory
and accountable process - not only results
• Identifies rights-holders and duty bearers
From needs to rights – HRBA paradigm shift
Basic Needs and Sustainable
Livelihoods approaches
View beneficiaries as
stakeholders
Needs are met through charity
and benevolence
Do not take power relations into
account (can produce/reproduce
deprivation)
Needs are met and satisfied
Basic needs can be met through
outcome strategies
HRBA
View beneficiaries as rights-
holders and duty-bearers
Development is an entitlement
Provides a framework for the
analysis of power and authority
Rights are realised (respected,
protected and fulfilled)
Attention is paid equally to
outcome and process
HRBA cont’d
Rights-holders and duty-bearers
A rights-holder (every human being):• Is entitled to rights• Is entitled to claim rights• Is entitled to hold the duty-bearer accountable• Has a responsibility to respect the rights of
others
A duty-bearer (States):• Has the obligation to respect, protect, and
fulfill the rights of the rights-holders
HRBA cont’d
The elements of HRBA
• Participation
• Accountability
• Non-discrimination and equality
• Empowerment
• Links to human rights
How to implement HRBA –a five-step process
• Context analysis in human-rights terms• Identify rights-holders and duty-bearers• Capacity analysis (rights-holders and duty-
bearers)• Identifying results and indicators• Identifying entry points
Apply principles at all stages
HRBA cont’d
HRBA cont’d
Three main rationales for a human-rights based approach:
- it is the right thing to do morally or legally
- it leads to better and more sustainable human development outcomes
- it requires viewing situations and challenges through a holistic lens guided by international human rights principles and standards
Why HRBA?
What value does HRBA add to development?
• Focuses on realization of the rights of the excluded and marginalized populations (universality of rights)
• Holistic view
• Participatory process
• Transparency and accountability
• Monitoring
• Sustained results
HRBA cont’d
Donors and HRBA
World Bank/OECD 2013 study of bilateral and multilateral donor practices
• No overall human rights policies (17)
• Established human rights policies (19)(bilateral donors include Canada, Switzerland, Finland, Austria, New Zealand, UK)
• Human rights-based approaches (7)(bilateral donors include Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark)
HRBA cont’d
Official Development Assistance Accountability Act (ODAAA, 2008)
Central focus of ODAAA:
- poverty reduction in a manner consistent with Canadian values
Conditions for the provision of ODAAA:
- Contributes to poverty reduction
- Takes into account the perspectives of the poor
- Is consistent with international human rights standards
GAC – Advancing human rights guidelines – November 2017
• Guidance on how to incorporate a human rights perspective throughout the lifecycle of international development project
• Includes “how to” information on:
▪ Conducting context analysis through a human rights lens
▪ Considering human rights in planning and design of initiatives
▪ Addressing human rights in implementation, monitoring and evaluation
Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (2017)
Policy focus over the next 5 years:
Gender Equality and Empowerment
of Women and Girls (95%)
• A core action area of programming (15%)
• The exclusive programmatic emphasis
in 5 other action areas (80%)
Feminist Policy link withCanada’s Official Development Assistance Accountability Act
NEW Policy acknowledges requirements set
out in the Act that all official development
assistance:
• Contributes to poverty reduction
• Takes into account the perspective of the
poor
• Is consistent with international human rights
standards
Feminist Policy and HRBA
• Explicit reference to HRBA :
“Canada is committed to providing
international assistance that is human
rights-based and inclusive.” (p.9)
• Elements of HRBA implicit in some Areas
for Action (e.g. Act. 2-human dignity)
Human rights and the
environment
Environmental sustainability and the promotion of
human rights are closely linked.
• Food, water, disease management, climate
regulation, spiritual fulfilment are preconditions
for the full enjoyment of human rights.
• Promotion of environmental sustainability
informed by human rights (right to information,
public participation in decision-making and
access to justice).
Sustainable development activities must take into
account the impact on human rights and the
environment.
Challenges
• Lack of capacity and expertise to work with human rights concepts
• Lack of resources and support to integrate HRBA
• Resistance from target populations and their societies (governments)
• Difficulty identifying and working with local partners and building real participation
What’s needed?
Greater guidance on
the HOW to!!!!
Opportunities to move the human rights agenda forward
“CSOs are effective as
development actors when
they develop and implement
strategies, activities and
practices that promote
individual and collective
human rights, including the
right to development, with
dignity, decent work, social
justice and equity for all
people.”Istanbul Principle No. 1
Opportunities cont’d
Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (September 2015)
Goal 1:
End poverty in all its
forms everywhere
Opportunities cont’d
Learning from others & each other • Applying a rights-based approach: An inspirational guide for civil
society, Jakob Kirkemann Boesen & Tomas Martin, The Danish Institute for
Human Rights, 2007, Available: https://www.crin.org/en/docs/dihr_rba.pdf
• A human rights-based approach to disability in development: Entry points
for development organisations, GIZ, 2012
https://www.cbm.org/article/downloads/54741/A_human_rights-
based_approach_to_disability_in_development.pdf
• People’s Action in Practice, ActionAid, 2012,
http://www.actionaid.org/sites/files/actionaid/peoples_action_in_practice_english
_amended_kcp7.pdf
Opportunities cont’d• Advancing human rights, Government of Canada, November 2017,
http://international.gc.ca/world-monde/funding-
financement/advancing_human_rights-
promouvoir_droits_personne.aspx?lang=eng
• UNICEF, 2015, Introduction to the Human Rights-Based Approach – A
Guide for Finnish NGOs and Their Partners, http://hrbaportal.org/wp-
content/files/HRBA_manuaali_FINAL_pdf_small2.pdf
• The Danish Institute for Human Rights, SDGs and human rights
monitoring: Guidance for national implementation, 2015,
https://www.humanrights.dk/files/media/dokumenter/sdg/sdgs_and_human_right
s_monitoring.pdf
• Implementing a Human Rights-Based Approach: Lessons from the
experience of providers of international assistance Brian Tomlinson,
AidWatch Canada August 2017 http://aidwatchcanada.ca/wp-
content/uploads/2017/11/Final-Implementing-a-HRBA-by-Providers.pdf
Opportunities cont’d• Factsheet on Human Rigths and the Environment, Division of
Environmental Law & Conventions, United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP). Nairobi, June 2015.
https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/9933/factsheet-human-
rightsenvironment.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
“We will not enjoy development without security, we will not enjoy security without development, and we will not enjoy either without respect for human rights. Unless all these causes are advanced, none will succeed.”
Kofi Annan“In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights For All”, Report of the United Nations Secretary General, May 2005.
Thank you