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Abstract
The essential role of human rights in the United Nations’ (UN) development work is increasingly acknowledged. An important decision for ensuring human rights in UN-wide programming activities is the human rights-based approach to development cooperation: Towards a Common Understanding among UN agencies (Common Understanding). By analysing the Common Understanding and subsequent guidelines and tools by the UN Development Group, the article identifies how UN Country Teams (UNCT) are both challenged and assisted in integrating human rights in development programming. Twenty-five multiyear strategies by UNCT are reviewed. A most important element of the Common Understanding is its explicit acknowledgement of human rights principles, defined as minimum standards of good conduct. The article challenges, however, the Common Understanding's list of human rights principles, as some of the principles it lists do not refer to standards of conduct. This also applies to the most recent guidelines, leading to sub-optimal analysis and programming.
Notes on contributor
Hans Morten Haugen is Associate Professor at Diakonhjemmet University College, Oslo. He has a cand.polit (MA) degree in political science and a dr.jur (Phd) degree in law, both from the University of Oslo. His research is primarily in the realm of global justice and inclusive communities, including which role social human rights actually play in the encounter with economic powerful actors (technology developers, patent holders and investors, primarily in the context of biofuels. His work on inclusive communities is primarily written within social ethics. A book about development strategies (preliminary title: Kampen om utviklingen) will be published by Cappelen Damm in 2014.