Office of the HighCommissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). 2008. "Claimingthe Millennium Development Goals: A Human Rights Approach".
- Objective: Proposes how to apply human rights framework to the MDG targets.
- Key characterstics: Focuses on all rights related to the MDGs, incorporating the obligations to respect, protect and fulfill. Emphasis on structural indicators, looking at the commitments made in relation to the MDGs, which then affect the process (government efforts) which then affect the outcomes. Framework proposes 1. aligning MDG goals with human rights by harmonizing indicators with human rights standards; 2. adopting a transformative, not technocratic approach, 3. adopting HRBA to empowerment and participation in target-setting, policy-making and implementation; 4. prioritizing rights by making policy choices and resource-allocation decisions within HR framework; 5. enabling claiming of MDGs by ensuring enforceable rights, accountability mechanisms and sustainable strategies.
- Summary: Chapter one introduces the two topics - MDGs and human rights, and asks whether they are complementary or conflicting. The sections here include background of the MDGs, showing the lack of progress made in meeting them. It also explains that the HR community had not, as of yet, played an active role in their design and implementation. This section explains what the MDGs are and the importance that they are indicative for country-level monitoring, nationalized, localized, tailored and contextualized. The section then outlines what human rights are, including the main international HR treaties, HR principles and obligations.
The next section in this chapter explains their similar characteristics, including their common ultimate objective and their commitment to promoting human well-being. In addition, they are both underpinned by an international framework, they both provide tools to hold governments accountable, and both are connected to the HRC (in a way). A table is provided, matching each MDG with a human right.
The next section is about mutual benefits, showing how they can be implemented in mutually reinforcing manners. Finally, the chapter ends with criticisms of MDGs, saying that, up until now, the MDGs have partly ignored the added-value of human rights. The MDGs have not be concerned with society's most vulnerable or issues of inequality in countries, nor are all MDGs consistent with human rights. The MDGs also do not focus on the poverty that exists in middle-income and developed countries, and lay great expectations in technocratic solutions, rather than attempting to change power relations. International accountability mechanisms have also been criticized, especially in relation to donor aid.
Chapter two lays out the argument for using a human rights based approach (HRBA) to achieve the MDGs, explaining how it can add value and if it changes values. The sections here include: aligning the MDGs with human rights (adapt each target to the relevant ESC right, mainstream gender, ensure the excluded are included, and ensure indicators are rights-sensitive); being transformative, not technocratic (address power inequalities, adopt a human rights approach to participation); prioritizing HR in policy choices and resource allocations (do no harm, avoid retrogressive measures, adequately direct policies towards the realization of HR, provide adequate resources); claiming the MDGs (empower rights-holders with enforceable rights, provide effective accountability mechanisms, ensure sustainability and protect the MDG gains). Chapter three explains how to apply and integrate human rights to each MDG, in order to achieve them. The goals are: 1) eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (issues that its baseline is outdated, that the indicator of $1/day may be insufficient, that it doesn't address inequality. In addition, the focus on duties to respect, protect and fulfill relevant here, as is the 4A framework); 2) Achieve universal primary education (issue that free and compulsory education is not part of this goal. Also important to focus on girls' attendance and those children with disabilities. In addition, issues to do with quality and content are key for this goal); 3) Promote gender equality and empower women (positive steps should be taken by governments to reach this goal, in order to address barriers for girls and women); 4) Reduce child mortality (priority should be given to addressing inequalities in provision of health services, recognition should be given that health systems are social institutions, rather than mere providers of products and services, international aid should be increased, along with stronger accountability mechanisms to support aid delivery methods), 5) Improve maternal health (need to emphasize focus on state's legal obligations. Also should look at process indicators for better understanding of true nature of problem. 4A framework very relevant here, as is non-discrimination); 6) Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases (need for empowerment of those affected. Also need focus on international aid and government accountability. In relation to malaria, need for progressive realization according to maximum available resources framework, in addition to community empowerment); 7) Ensure environmental sustainability (accountability framework, and right to information and participation. Also need for international cooperation and focus on marginalized groups. In terms of water and sanitation, respect, protect, fulfill framework useful. Slum upgrading needs to ensure security of tenure); 8) Develop a global partnership for development (focus on protection and fulfillment of HR, especially abroad, and framework of equality and non-discrimination). - Best used for: Identifying how and where gaps in the MDGs can be filled with the application of human rights standards and practices, thus understanding reasons for poor performance, etc.
- Data needed: Human rights principles and standards and MDG targets.
- Tested?: Gives some examples of national MDGs being aligned with human rights, but on the whole, MDGs are entirely separate from a human rights framework.
- Possible disadvantages: This does not provide a methodological tool, but more of the framework argument for aligning development goals with human rights, and conceptually strong.
- Questions for research: Need for greater dialogue between the human rights community and the development community to ensure that HRBA are adopted or refined in policy work and in county-level programming?
- Complementary tools: Any tool that examines development indicators from a HRBA - analyzing them from the perspective of fulfillment (e.g, Anderson, Felner)