Millennium Development Goals and Human Rights : Millennium Development Goals and Human Rights Webinar Three
Online Course on Development and Human Rights
HREA and UPEACE Human Rights Centre
Presentation by
Prof. Mihir Kanade
Millennium Declaration and Human Rights : Millennium Declaration and Human Rights Millennium Declaration adopted by 189 world leaders at the Millennium Summit on 8th September 2000
Laid down objectives to be achieved by countries by 2015 to free their fellow human beings from the “abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty,” to “freeing the entire human race from want,” and to “making the right to development a reality for everyone.”
Declaration divided into eight chapters as follows:-
1. Values and Principles
2. Peace, Security and Disarmament
3. Development and Poverty Eradication
4. Protecting our Common Environment
5. Human Rights, Democracy and Good Governance
6. Protecting the Vulnerable
7. Meeting the Special Needs of Africa
8. Strengthening the United Nations
Millennium Declaration and Human Rights : Millennium Declaration and Human Rights Chapter V makes explicit reference to human rights as follows:-
24. We will spare no effort to promote democracy and strengthen the rule of law, as well as respect for all internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development.
25. We resolve therefore:
• To respect fully and uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• To strive for the full protection and promotion in all our countries of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights for all.
• To strengthen the capacity of all our countries to implement the principles and practices of democracy and respect for human rights, including minority rights.
• To combat all forms of violence against women and to implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
• To take measures to ensure respect for and protection of the human rights of migrants, migrant workers and their families, to eliminate the increasing acts of racism and xenophobia in many societies and to promote greater harmony and tolerance in all societies.
• To work collectively for more inclusive political processes, allowing genuine participation by all citizens in all our countries.
• To ensure the freedom of the media to perform their essential role and the right of the public to have access to information.
Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals : Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals MDG’s emanated from the Millennium Declaration and were finalized by the UN Secretary General.
Endorsed by UN agencies, World bank, IMF and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Comprise of 8 goals which are accompanied by 18 targets to be reached mostly by 2015
Millennium Declaration and Omissions in the MDG’s : Millennium Declaration and Omissions in the MDG’s Chapter V of the Millennium Declaration has not been mainstreamed in the MDG’s
MDG’s were not developed through a participatory process which included the civil society and Southern States.
Some aspects of equity were omitted from the MDG’s
Millennium Declaration (para 13): We are committed to an open, equitable, rule based, predictable and non-discriminatory multilateral trading and financial system,
MDG Target 8.A: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system.
What are the MDG’s : What are the MDG’s MDG’s are quantifiable, time-bound, and focus on key areas of development, as well as on establishing a partnership between developed and developing countries.
MDG’s are both ends in themselves and benchmarks for progress towards the overall goals of the Millennium Declaration: eradicating human poverty and fighting inequality.
All countries have agreed to report back on progress to the UN and the public
Developing countries also signed up to producing medium-term national development plans focused on the MDG’s in 2006.
MDG’s and Human Rights : MDG’s and Human Rights SIMILARITIES
Common objective to preserve and protect human dignity through the achievement of a wide range of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.
Both underpinned by an international framework.
Linkages between MDG’s and corresponding human rights.
MDG’s and Human Rights Linkages : MDG’s and Human Rights Linkages
MDG’s and Human Rights Linkages : MDG’s and Human Rights Linkages
MDG’s and Human Rights Linkages : MDG’s and Human Rights Linkages
MDG’s and Human Rights : MDG’s and Human Rights DIFFERENCES
Human Rights are wider in scope and deal with human condition in the broadest sense. MDG’s are more limited in scope and focus on some key areas only.
Human Rights target all countries – although both promote an inclusive agenda, MDG’s focus mostly on developing countries.
Human Rights are not quantified like MDG’s. MDG’s are, therefore, more conducive to measurement.
Human Rights have no deadline. MDG’s have a timeline for achievement.
Human Rights are legally binding. MDG’s are recommended set of development objectives with non-mandatory targets and indicators.
Inconsistency in some provisions.
How can Human Rights reinforce MDG’s : How can Human Rights reinforce MDG’s Some MDG’s are inconsistent with Human Rights.
Examples of Inconsistency:
Target 2A: “Ensure that, by 2015, all children will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.” On the other hand, human rights instruments require primary education to be free, compulsory and of a certain quality.
Target 7D: “Have achieved by 2020 a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers.” Human rights approach requires provision of basic security of tenure for all.
HRBA would ensure that nationally adopted targets are properly aligned with a State’s human rights obligations.
How can Human Rights reinforce MDG’s : How can Human Rights reinforce MDG’s HRBA would ensure that the minimum core level, and equal rights for all individuals, be prioritized in MDG process.
The global power imbalance can be witnessed in the MDG’s themselves, as Goal 8 for wealthier countries has no benchmarks. A human rights approach should help focus attention one these countries making binding commitments on trade, aid and debt.
Since human rights are legally binding, they can bring legal authority to bear on efforts to achieve the MDG’s.
MDG’s focus on goals, that is outcome aspects of development. HRBA reinforces the importance of process aspects such as participation in decision making at all levels of policy and programme implementation.
How can MDG’s reinforce achievement of Human Rights : How can MDG’s reinforce achievement of Human Rights MDG’s provide an opportunity to raise awareness about the urgency of eliminating poverty and deprivation, and provides renewed and greater attention to violation of economic and social rights.
Benchmarks in MDG’s can provide specificity to the concept of progressive realization of some Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
MDG’s provide a political commitment at the highest levels of the Government, and can help lower the frequency of violation of human rights.
Mobilization of resources as a result of MDG’s can help achievement of human rights.
How can HRBA be adapted to MDG’s : How can HRBA be adapted to MDG’s Align the goals and nationally defined priorities with human rights, including special attention to the minorities and the vulnerable and to women.
Be transformational not technocratic. A top-down approach should be replaced by a participatory approach.
Prioritize human rights in policy choices and resource allocation, however, ensuring the vector approach of right to development.
Claim the MDG’s i.e. link specific MDG’s with specific human rights that are legally binding.
Special role of global cooperation : Special role of global cooperation Goal 8 of MDG’s focuses on development cooperation. This is also a common theme in the Declaration on the Right to Development.
This includes:
Increasing development aid
Enhancing market access to the poorest countries
Providing debt relief
Enhancing access to essential drugs
Increasing technology transfers
Place special attention to needs of small island states and landlocked countries.
Goal 8 is the only goal, however, that does not contain any deadlines or concrete targets that developed countries must achieve.
Additionally, equity in trading system has been omitted in Target 8A.
Development cooperation, therefore, deserves special attention through HRBA.