The rights-based approach in development policies and strategies

The so-called “rights-based approach” as applied in development policies and strategies treats international human rights law as a conceptual framework, accepted by the international community, that is capable of guiding policy formulation, implementation and evaluation in the field of development and, where international cooperation and aid are concerned, of providing guidance in relation to the obligations of donor and recipient governments, the extent of social participation and the oversight and accountability mechanisms required, both locally and internationally. This paper analyses certain points of connection and divergence between the development and human rights outlooks and seeks to establish some relationships between a number of fundamental rights (such as the right to equality, political participation and justice) and the concepts of inclusion, participation and accountability that development strategies often employ.