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Key Text Handbook in Human Rights Assessment: State Obligations, Awareness and Empowerment

Author: Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
Date: 2001
Size: 24 pages (239 KB)

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Summary

How do you enhance the human rights profile of development programmes? How do you identify the need for human rights impact analysis? This handbook by Norad assists the user in addressing human rights concerns by recording the potential, planned or likely positive or negative effects of the programme under review. It is not a manual on how to conduct a full-scale human rights impact analysis but a guide to identifying the need for such analysis.

Human rights issues should be emphasised at all stages of co-operation. They provide a benchmark and a framework for policy dialogue relating to country strategies and programmes, as well as in planning and implementing programmes. The respect and promotion of human rights are important goals in themselves, but the protection and implementation of international human rights also contributes to better development.

The two main UN Covenants distinguish between civil and political rights, on the one hand, and economic, social and cultural rights on the other. However, the international human rights community stresses that all human rights are universal, indivisible and interrelated. Rights awareness implies that the individual knows his or her basic rights, and that he or she is able to comprehend how these rights are affected by development programmes. Rights empowerment means people have the capacity and resources to claim their rights effectively. In other words, empowerment implies that people are able to influence public decisions. Empowerment gives power to: influence public decisions, make decisions, express interests, raise issues for public debate, negotiate on values and interests and influence tradition and customs. In some cases a programme may have multiple effects, positive and negative, direct and indirect.

  • The purpose of a human rights assessment (HRA) in the preparatory phase of the programme cycle is to identify and describe any likely positive or negative effects on the enjoyment of human rights.
  • During implementation, a midterm review may identify a lack of, or an actual human rights impact.
  • Key rights and freedoms relating to the choice and opportunity of being involved are the political right to take part in the conduct of public affairs; freedom of association and the right of peaceful assembly.
  • The degree of popular involvement and participation reflects the programme's success in promoting awareness and enhancing empowerment.

HRA must ensure that the State's human rights obligations under any relevant treaty have been identified and that the assumed human rights impact of the programme proposal has been assessed.

  • The case-worker should identify and document various types of effects and make a general assessment of the overall human rights impact that a programme may have.
  • Particular emphasis should be put on equality and non-discrimination.
  • An assessment must be made on how the programme affects the rights and freedoms of the population in terms of awareness and empowerment.
  • Programmes should be planned and implemented to enable people to express and claim their rights.
  • By ensuring that the right to access information and freedom of expression are guaranteed, people will have their complaints heard and dealt with in a democratic manner.

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Source: NORAD, 2001, ‘Handbook in Human Rights Assessment: State Obligations, Awareness and Empowerment’, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, Oslo
Author: Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), http://www.norad.no


 
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