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<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=1>Human Rights Reader 141<?xml:namespace
prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><U><o:p><SPAN
style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=5></FONT></SPAN></o:p></U></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT></B> </P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><STRONG>IT IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION TO SAY THAT THE HUMAN
RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH IS IN A DIFFERENT LEAGUE THAN OTHER APPROACHES TO
DEVELOPMENT: IT IS THE ‘MAKE OR BREAK’ ISSUE OF OUR
TIME.<o:p></o:p></STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><U><o:p><SPAN
style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=5></FONT></SPAN></o:p></U></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>1. The human rights-based approach (HRBA) signals a ‘new deal’ in the
annals of development work. It shifts the focus from technocratic to political
solutions and to the empowerment of claim holders (CHs) or, as they have also
been called, ‘problem owners’. The HRBA is antithetical with an <I>‘investment
in’</I> health or nutrition or education approach.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>2. The HRBA also adds new dimensions by going beyond the question ‘<I>Are
the needed factors in place</I><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">?’</I>
(i.e., policies and programs) by asking ‘<I>Are the duty bearers (DBs) taking
action to ensure that such factors are present</I><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">?’</I> and also asking ‘<I>Can the DBs take
such action</I><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">?’</I><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This focus highlights accountability, a
centerpiece of the HRBA. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>3. Further, the HRBA strongly denounces and debunks such fallacies of
neoliberalism as the ones that purports that
poverty-should-be-accepted-for-some-time-to-maximize-investment-and-economic-growth;
or that initially,
economic-growth-will-create-inequalities-that-should-be-accepted; or that
civil-and-political-rights-must-be-temporarily-suspended-to-allow-for-economic-growth.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>4. The HRBA forces program staff and policy makers to reflect upon <I>the
<U>why</U>, the <U>how</U> and the <U>who-for</U></I> of their actions
<I><U>beyond</U></I> the questions of <I><U>what</U></I> should be
done.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>5. As has been discussed in this Reader previously, five
components/stages can be identified in the strategy to implement the
HRBA:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>-Causal analysis and capacity analysis;</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>-Assessment of the existing legislative and policy framework;</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>-Screening that government policies are not leading to violations and
that the government is progressively engaging in the realization of human
rights; </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>-Setting up of effective monitoring mechanisms to assess progress
(includes shadow reports of NGOs to UN HR monitoring bodies). (See Addendum
below); and </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>-Setting up of effective recourse procedures that allow victims to
claim.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>6. Despite these suggested steps in implementing the HRBA, the same will
not only change what we do, but rather how and why we do it. (U.
Jonsson)</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>7. The HRBA provides a framework for equity and non-discrimination that,
when applied, ensures the benefits of human development do indeed reach even the
most disadvantaged and the excluded. (Be reminded here that it is only the
systematic disaggregation of data that allows the detection of the situations of
exclusion. When applying the HRBA, one simply cannot leave pockets of
exclusion). </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>8. A key value added by the HRBA lies in the justiciability of HR, i.e.,
their violation can be invoked in court. Human rights work that just
concentrates on advocacy work is ultimately weak. There is enough useful
language in the international rights instruments to warrant doing rights work
aiming for justiciability through the courts system --at least to secure and
make their <I>progressive realization</I> operational and a measurable reality.
This said, let us be clear though that as much as legal tools are essential,
they are not the only requirement for success. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>9. Governments may perceive the HRBA as an alien imposition on their
cultural identity and system of governance. This should in no way deter us from
engaging them; they are wrong, and will have to be convinced otherwise in time.
</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>10. The more firmly the HRBA gets incorporated into plans of action, the
more success will crown the efforts of the international donor community and
their partner governments. This is what we have to convince them of. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>11. But it has proven difficult to make international organizations and
corporations bona-fide duty bearers (DBs) so as to hold them accountable for not
respecting human rights. For this, voluntary guidelines for their behavior are
useful, but only as an intermediate step on the way to juticiability. (e.g., FAO
Voluntary Guidelines for the Right to Adequate Food and Nutrition, 2005) Being
able to hold them legally accountable will be useful, because the HRBA
specifically zeros-in on the actions or inactions of bona-fide DBs. (S. Maxwell)
This then gives us the recourse to demand these DBs rectify their shortcomings
and come up with the needed remedies for HR violations and with the needed
reparations for its victims. But so far, we have had little political success in
our efforts to get the HRBA accepted and applied by these organizations and
corporations. A challenge here. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=5> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=1>Claudio Schuftan, <?xml:namespace prefix =
st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ho Chi Minh
City</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><A
href="mailto:claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=1>claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn</FONT></A><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT
size=1> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=5><FONT
face="Times New Roman">______<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT
size=2>Addendum:<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2><U><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Core UN
treaties</SPAN></U><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2>United Nations
Charter, 1946.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Universal
Declaration of HR, 1948</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> (does not
require ratification)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
1966</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> (Ratified by 149 states). Has 2
optional protocols; monitored by the new UN HR
Council.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, 1966</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> (Ratified by 147 states);
monitored by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Racial Discrimination, 1963</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
(Ratified by 168 states); monitored y the Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,
1979</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> (Ratified by 173 states); one
optional protocol; monitored b the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Convention
Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> (Ratified by 133 states);
monitored by the Committee Against Torture.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Convention
on the Rights of the Child, 1989</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
(Ratified by 192 states); two optional protocols; monitored by he Committee on
the Rights of the Child.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Convention
on the Rights of Migrant Workers, 1990.</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2>To date, 80%
of states have ratified at least four of the seven major HR conventions; all
countries have ratified at least one of them.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1.5pt solid; mso-element: para-border-div">
<P class=MsoBodyText
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">We emphasize
that States have become parties to the international HR instruments above on a
voluntary basis, and thereby obligate themselves to comply and to report
periodically to the existing independent monitoring bodies on their
implementation.</SPAN> </FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">(A conventoin on the rights of the people with
disabilities has just been added this year).</FONT></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=1>Mostly adapted from D+C, Vol 33, No.5, May 2006; F+D (IMF), Vol 42, No.4,
Dec. 2005; SCN News (UN Standing Committee on Nutrition), No.30, mid 2005; HR
Practice Note, P. van Weerelt and T. Palmlund, UNDP draft 26/4/2004; and U.
Jonsson: Changing Approaches to the Problem of Child Malnutrition, 2006,
forthcoming.</FONT></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>