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Abstract
Since the 1990s, mainstreaming has become a word of fashion. It generally stands for methods of integrating ideals considered disparate or bringing some value from the periphery to the centre. Many development organisations have been working on mainstreaming human rights into their activities. With a focus on the work of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the present article analyses the progress made and challenges faced in human rights mainstreaming. It suggests ways of strengthening the work on mainstreaming the right to adequate food at FAO. Based on practical knowledge from working with the organisation, the author argues for streamlining the mainstreaming work currently done within FAO and the development of a corporate strategy that has stronger organisational support.
Notes
1 See FAO (2014), “About FAO”, available at http://www.fao.org/about/en/ (accessed 9 July 2014).
2 UN Charter, arts 1(3), 55 and 56. See also the International Bill of Rights constituted of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and other human rights treaties adopted within the UN. All the human rights instruments are available at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/InternationalLaw.aspx (accessed 9 July 2014).
3 See Z Kedzia, “Mainstreaming Human Rights in the United Nations”, in G Alfredson et al (eds), International Human Rights Monitoring Mechanisms (2nd rev ed, Martinus Nijhoff, Leiden, 2009), 231.
4 For example, see Vienna Declaration and Program of Action, art 8, World Conference on Human Rights 1993.
5 Renewing the United Nations: A Program for Reform, Report of the Secretary General, (A/51/1950), 14 July 1997.
6 The World Summit in 2005 and the 2007 General Assembly resolution on Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review.
7 Strengthening of the United Nations: An Agenda for Further Change, report of the UN Secretary-General, 2002, para 45. Action 2 was a capacity-building program that is no longer operational, but it exhibited an increased interest in human rights mainstreaming in the work of the UN and its training materials are still in use.
8 See G Oberleitner, Global Human Rights Institutions: Between Remedy and Ritual (Polity Press, Cambridge, 2007), 104.
9 See Z Kedzia, “Mainstreaming Human Rights in the United Nations”, in G Alfredson et al (eds), International Human Rights Monitoring Mechanisms (2nd rev ed, Martinus Nijhoff, Leiden, 2009), 233.
10 UNICEF, Global Evaluation of the Application of the Human Rights-Based Approach to UNICEF Programming (Final Report – Volume I, New York 2012), 29–35.
11 UNDP, Mainstreaming Human Rights in Development Policies and Programming: UNDP Experience (2012), 3.
12 World Bank and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Integrating Human Rights into Development: Donor approaches, experiences and challenges (2nd ed, 2013), 14.
13 OHCHR, Frequently Asked Questions on A Human Rights-Based Approach to Development Cooperation (Geneva, 2006); and UNFPA and Harvard School of Public Health, A Human Rights-Based Approach to Programming: Practical Implementation Manual and Training Materials (2010).
14 UN Development Group, Guidance Note: Application of the Programming Principles to the UNDAF (January 2010), available at http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/program/dwcp/download/undafnote.pdf (accessed 1 April 2014).
15 See Z Kedzia, “Mainstreaming Human Rights in the United Nations”, in G Alfredson et al (eds), International Human Rights Monitoring Mechanisms (2nd rev ed, Martinus Nijhoff, Leiden, 2009), 233.
16 In larger freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all, “Report of the Secretary-General”, A/59/2005, para 144.
17 2005 “World Summit Outcome” A/RES/60/1.
18 Constitution of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (1945), preamble in Basic Texts, Volumes I and II, 2013 ed, available at http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/022/k8024e.pdf (accessed 1 April 2014).
19 Rome Declaration on World Food Security, para 1 and the Summit Plan of Action, objective 7.4.
20 General Comment No 12, The Right to Adequate Food (Article 11), (12 May 1999), E/C.12/1999/5.
21 Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/10, the right to food, 52nd meeting, 17 April 2000, para 11(b).
22 Declaration of the World Food Summit: Five Years Later (2002), para 10.
23 FAO, “Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security” (Rome, 2005), available at http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/y7937e/y7937e00.htm (accessed 10 July 2014).
24 FAO, “Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security” (Rome, 2012), available at http://www.fao.org/nr/tenure/voluntary-guidelines/en/ (accessed 15 May 2014).
25 FAO, Country Programming Guidelines: Principles and Policy. Paper prepared for the 108th session of the FAO Programme Committee, 10–14 October 2011, Rome, Italy, available at http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/023/mc218e.pdf (accessed 1 April 2014).
26 See FAO, Guide to the formulation of the Country Programming Framework (Rome, 2012), 18.
27 FAO, Guide to the Project Cycle: Quality for results, version 8 November 2013, Rome, available at http://www.fao.org/docrep/016/ap105e/ap105e.pdf (accessed 1 April 2014).
28 Under FAO's Strategic Framework that was adopted in 2009, the right to food was a key component of the Organizational Result H2 that contributes to achieving Strategic Objective H – Improved Food Security and Better Nutrition.
29 FAO Conference, “Reviewed Strategic Framework”, 38th Session, 15–22 June 2013, Rome, Italy, C 2013/7; and “The Director-General's Medium Term Plan 2014–17” and “Program of Work and Budget 2014–15”, C 2013/3.
30 FAO Conference, “Reviewed Strategic Framework”, 38th Session, 15–22 June 2013, Rome, Italy, C 2013/7; and “The Director-General's Medium Term Plan 2014–17” and “Program of Work and Budget 2014–15”, C 2013/3.
31 Report of the Council of FAO, 127th Session, Rome 22–27 November 2004, CL/127/REP, para 26.
32 FAO, “Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security” (Rome, 2005), available at http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/y7937e/y7937e00.htm, Guideline 3 (accessed 1 April 2014).
33 FAO, “Right to Food. Making it Happen: Progress and lessons learned through Implementation” (2011) 6–7.
34 UNDP, Mainstreaming Human Rights in Development Policies and Programming: UNDP Experience (2012).
35 FAO, “Evaluation of FAO's Role and Work in Food and Agriculture Policy” (2012), para. 337, Recommendation 1.2.
36 See http://www.fao.org/righttofood/our-work/mainstreaming/en/ (accessed 1 April 2014).
37 A Tostensen, H Stokke and S Trygged, “Means, Modes and Methods: Donor Support Strategies for Child Rights in Kenya”, in P Gready and W Vandenhole, Towards a Theory of Change: Human Rights and Development in the New Millennium (Routlege, Oxon, 2014), 84–85.
38 A Tostensen, H Stokke and S Trygged, “Means, Modes and Methods: Donor Support Strategies for Child Rights in Kenya”, in P Gready and W Vandenhole, Towards a Theory of Change: Human Rights and Development in the New Millennium (Routlege, Oxon, 2014).
39 See F Uggla, Mainstreaming at Sida: A Synthesis Report (Sida Studies in Evaluation 2007:05), 10.
40 Report of the Council of FAO, 127th Session, Rome 22–27 November 2004, CL/127/REP, para 26.
41 For the details of the work of the team, see http://www.fao.org/righttofood/our-work/en/ (accessed 9 July 2014).
42 http://www.fao.org/righttofood/our-work/en/ (accessed 9 July 2014).
43 See the thematic studies at http://www.fao.org/righttofood/news-and-events/2014-right-to-food-guidelines10/thematic-studies/en/ (accesses 9 July 2014).
44 Available at http://www.fao.org/righttofood/publications/en/ (accessed 9 July 2014).
45 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter, “Mission to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations”, Human Rights Council 22nd Session, 14 January 2013, para 39.
46 All available at http://www.fao.org/righttofood/publications/en/ (accessed 9 July 2014).
47 See World Bank and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Integrating Human Rights into Development: Donor approaches, experiences and challenges (2nd ed, 2013), 14.
48 FAO, The Right to Adequate Food in Emergency Programmes (forthcoming, 2014).
49 UNDP, Mainstreaming Human Rights in Development Policies and Programming: UNDP Experience (2012).
50 See A Tostensen, H Stokke and S Trygged, “Means, Modes and Methods: Donor Support Strategies for Child Rights in Kenya”, in P Gready and W Vandenhole, Towards a Theory of Change: Human Rights and Development in the New Millennium (Routlege, Oxon, 2014).
51 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter, “Mission to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations”, Human Rights Council 22nd Session, 14 January 2013Report of the Special Rapporteur.
52 FAO Programme Committee, Strategic Evaluation of FAO Country Programming, 2010, PC 104/4.
53 At the time of writing, an e-learning course targeting the FAO programming and technical staff was under preparation on three of the five UN Common Country Programming Principles, i.e., gender equality, human rights-based approach and capacity development. The Right to Food Team prepared the part on HRBA.
54 G Oberleitner, Global Human Rights Institutions: Between Remedy and Ritual (Polity Press, Cambridge, 2007), 105–6.
55 UNICEF, Global Evaluation of the Application of the Human Rights-Based Approach to UNICEF Programming (Final Report – Volume I, New York 2012); World Bank and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Integrating Human Rights into Development: Donor approaches, experiences and challenges (2nd ed, 2013).