HRCA Publication

The Rights Way to Development – Policy and Practice

This easily accessible new publication from the Human Rights Council of Australia revises and brings together two earlier publications – “The Rights Way to Development – A Human Rights Approach to Development Assistance” and “The Rights Way to Development – Manual for a Human Rights Approach to Development Assistance“. It outlines the conceptual basis of the human rights approach to development, as well as providing practical guidance for development programmers interested in applying the approach.

The human rights approach to development takes the International Bill of Rights as the framework for the design and delivery of development aid – using commitments to the realisation of human rights as the basis of efforts to end poverty – nationally and internationally. International human rights agreements set out the rights of the poor and the obligations and duties of governments to respect, protect and fulfill these rights. Translating these obligations and duties into national and international development programs and budgets is the challenge being taken on by an increasing number of government and non-government development agencies. This book aims to contribute constructively to these efforts.

The new volume also includes the May 2001 Statement on Poverty by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Executive Summary of “Working Together” (the reports of the Stockholm workshop on the human rights approach to development) and some tools for conducting human rights analysis of development challenges. It also contains some useful web addresses and contacts. With the human rights approach increasingly on the agenda, this book provides much-sought answers on what it really means.

“Their ideas are challenging. This group is asking the right questions”

Mary Robinson, High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Rights Way to Development – Policy and Practice can be ordered for $30 plus postage from pearles@optusnet.com.au or check www.hrca.org.au for more information.

Training Program

This training program features a series of exercises, practical campaigning suggestions and a list of useful references as well as providing a comprehensive introduction to the human rights-based approach to development.

[Resource no longer available online]

A Rights Way To Development Action Pack

The Action Pack contains a series of documents that will facilitate advocacy targeting bilateral and multilateral development agencies. It can be purchased direct from HRCA.

Download NGO Action Pack: Aid and Rights – An Agenda for NGOs.

Other Resources

• Symposium: Papers from 1995 Conference in Parliament House
• Implementing Human Rights in Thailand: 1997 Workshop report
• The Rights Way to Development Manual – Outline and table of contents
• Working Together Part 1
• Working Together Part 2
• Link between human rights and aid – Submission to Parliament 2001
• National Human Rights Institutions and Human Rights-Based Approach
• Rules to Live By: The Human Rights Approach to Development
• Introduction to the 2002 Yearbook on Human Rights in Development
• The Hill Tribes of Northern Thailand, Development in Conflict with Human Rights, 1997
• Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Right to Development in the Asia-Pacific Region
• UNESCO Strategy on Human Rights – Human Rights Based Approach and the United Nations system – Desk Study Prepared by André Frankovits