Whether generally accepted or not, human rights have come to play certain significant roles in development. These roles can be analysed from the initial conception of development to the practice of the development process itself. At the conceptual level, human rights through its principles and standards, helps to redirect the concept of development to the promotion of human dignity and wellbeing. Human rights also enable the formation and creation of goals which are shortcuts to attaining development goals. An example of these is the Millennium Development Goals.
It is clear that the economic or income problems faced by many countries today is not as a result of un-productivity or slow economic growth although that might be a part of the reason but considering the economic growth rates recorded in most developing countries, we would not be wrong to trace the economic woes, income and financial problems of a vast majority of the population of the third world to inequitable distribution of income. Which is a situation whereby, a few categories of individuals are allocated or rather allocate to themselves a huge chunk of the countries’ national income, leaving behind piecemeal to be distributed amongst vast majority of the people in the country. Inequality and discrimination which are results of human rights violations are the root cause of inequitable distribution of income. Therefore upholding the principles of equality, social justice and fairness which are fundamental human rights principles will ensure the delivery and equitable circulation of wealth among the populace thereby, fulfilling the goals of development. Imbibing the culture of economic, social and cultural rights will enable individuals and nations to see development as what essentially belongs to the citizens, as efforts would be geared towards fulfilling these rights instead of wasting efforts in endless development plans and strategies, which has over the years proved abortive. Human rights in development process and practice also monitor the development practice such that, human beings are not turned into commodities in the process of attaining development goals.
It is a recurring issue in most parts of the world especially non- industrialized nations who are working towards industrialization, that the living conditions and lives of individuals are adversely affected in the bid to attain development goals especially economic growth. This is experienced in the widespread pollution of the environment. A notable example being the oil spill in the Niger Delta, the release of gaseous waste into the air and water supply which are detrimental to human lives, inappropriate use of chemicals in production especially food crops in order to achieve excess supply, degradation of natural habitats and so on. Human rights checkmates this development processes to ensure that in the bid for the attainment of development, human life, dignity and wellbeing is not threatened.
In another dimension, in most parts of the world where profit is more emphasized than working conditions, there are serious violations of labour rights whereby, human beings are made to work in sweatshops or made to overwork themselves mostly in very untidy and deteriorating working conditions or environment, and sometimes even bullied and harassed by their bosses only to be paid stipends as salaries or in some cases not even paid at all, despite the huge profit made at the end of the working period. An enforcement of human rights standards and principles would enable big corporations, organisations, institutions and various economic production organs in the development edifice to see their labour or human beings as the engines and cornerstones of the industry and by that, their wellbeing and interest must come first and therefore their right to decent working conditions must not be violated. Also, human rights encourage the practice of corporate social responsibilities by organisations to their host communities.
Levels or Modes of Integration of Human Rights into Development Theory and Practice.
Sano gives three distinct levels at which human rights and development are interrelated and can be integrated. They are: dimensions, principles and obligations. Accordingly, Sano and Lankford (2010:27) states that, “the process of integrating human rights into development activities can take many forms and be based upon quite different rationales”. A framework as developed by Piron and O Neil gives three different approaches to the levels of integration of human rights into development. This levels and modes of integration of human rights into development depict the levels of convergence of human rights and development.
The first level which is the level of dimensions shows the shared areas of activity between human rights and development where human rights instrument embrace development activities. According to Sano and Lankford (2010:28), “….One may characterize such development activities as possessing human rights dimensions.” In essence, coverage of development activities reveals affinities and similarities with human rights. The integration of human rights into development programs in the dimensions level is unsystematic and non-explicit which means that, the integration of human rights into development programs is exemplified in programs that may relate to human rights subject matter but may not use human rights language, e.g. programs on health and education or may do so only selectively or occasionally e.g. the rights of workers or children. In simple terms it is development programs working towards achieving human rights unconsciously, or without clearly stating it or intending to.
At the second level of integration, convergence is at the level of common principles. At this level, integration is more deliberate and concerted and convergence is more systematic. Human rights principles like equality, accountability and the rule of law, non-discrimination, participation and inclusion, e.g. the concept of good governance, principles of equity and inclusion are deliberately included into development programs and considered as conditions for development. “At this level the relevance or affinity of human rights to development is stronger, involving greater engagement at a normative level” Sano and Lankford (2010:28). Also, at this level of convergence, human rights principles can act as a guide or baseline for development activities.
At the third level of integration, convergence of human rights and development is seen in the area of obligations. Obligations are central to human rights or lie at the heart of the human rights framework because, obligations imply duties. Therefore this is of common interest with human rights because, every human right imply correlative duties as there are both the rights holders and the duty bearers. It is here at this level of integration “that the most explicit approaches to human rights can be identified and where human rights based approaches to development are clearly discernible” Sano and Lankford (2010:28). At this level the outcome and processes of development are linked with human rights obligations, and development corporations especially between donors and recipients are accessed based on absorption of human rights obligations by states. This level of integration also allows the use of human rights language and lexicons in the activation of development programs.
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