Human rights and development

Development is a human right that belongs to everyone, individually and collectively. Everyone is “entitled to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized,” states the groundbreaking UN Declaration on the Right to Development,^[1] proclaimed in 1986.

Human rights add value to the agenda for development by drawing attention to the accountability to respect, protect, promote and fulfil all human rights of all people. It, in turn, contributes to the human rights-based approach to development. A human rights based approach will further generally lead to better analyzed and more focused strategic interventions by providing the normative foundation for tackling fundamental development issues.^[2]