Human development with sustainability and equity

Human development is the expansion of people’s freedoms and capabilities to lead lives that they value and have reason to value. It is about expanding choices. Freedoms and capabilities are a more expansive notion than basic needs.

Many ends are necessary for a “good life. We value biodiversity, for example, or natural beauty, independently of its contribution to our living standards.

Disadvantaged people are a central focus of human development. This includes people in the future who will suffer the most severe consequences of the risks arising from our activities today. particularly when the events are catastrophic for poor and vulnerable people.

Sustainable human development is the expansion of the substantive freedoms of people today while making reasonable efforts to avoid seriously compromising those of future generations

Human-made capital can substitute for natural resources— whether human ingenuity will relax natural resource constraints, as in the past. Whether this will be possible in the future is unknown and, coupled with the risk of catastrophe, favours the position of preserving basic natural assets and the associated flow of ecological services.

This perspective also aligns with human rights–based approaches to development. Sustainable human development is the expansion of the substantive freedoms of people today while making reasonable efforts to avoid seriously compromising those of future generations.

Conflict Prevention for development

Violent conflict in a society reflects a failure in governance, resulting in the complete breakdown of the relationship between civil society and the state. In this context, sustainable development and poverty reduction are virtually impossible to achieve. Not only are the authorities unable to implement socio-economic development programming, but the environment―destruction of infrastructure, economic collapse, loss of life―cannot support it. At the same time, the increasing connection between conflict and global security concerns puts development progress at risk beyond the borders of the affected country, fuelling the urgency to deal with conflict and promote a culture of conflict prevention and peace.


The world takes both a preventive and a restorative approach to conflict and security. Effective international development cooperation programs that reduce poverty, inequality, exclusion, and environmental degradation help address common sources of conflict and reinforce human security, stability, and peace. In these situations, The world cannot act alone. The assets and capabilities of our diplomatic corps and our military become indispensable to a whole-of-government response to restoring security and rebuilding society.

The universal goal in this area is to help reduce the frequency and intensity of violent conflict and to increase civilian oversight, accountability, and transparency of security systems. This includes mitigating the human impact of conflict, as well as providing technical assistance to strengthen the institutional capacity of fragile states to reduce, prevent, and eliminate violent conflict.

Future programming could include integrating conflict indicators and early warning systems; support for the demobilization of former combatants; truth and reconciliation commissions; small-arms collection programs; and policing, transparency, and oversight of security institutions. Assistance in this area requires a long-term engagement beyond post-conflict recovery and reconstruction efforts. More traditional areas of assistance, such as economic growth and poverty reduction programs, democratization, good governance (including justice and security systems), and respect for human rights, must also be incorporated.

Rule of Law for development

Rule of law means that rulers don't rule―laws do. Rule of law is fundamental to a modern governance system. A predictable legal system with fair, accessible, and effective judicial institutions is essential for the protection of citizens against the arbitrary use of state authority or lawless acts by others. It also supports economic growth by ensuring a reliable, stable, and predictable system of laws and regulations that can protect investments, contracts, and other business interactions.

In many developing countries, weak legal institutions and the lack of rule of law endanger development and contribute to poverty. Further, the legal exclusion of the world's poor―who have little access to legal protection of their rights or livelihoods―perpetuates poverty throughout the developing world.

Universal goal in this area is to ensure that just laws and independent, as well as effective, legal, judicial, and enforcement institutions contribute to greater security of the individual, to economic development, to environmental protection, and to social justice. Global assistance will encompass support for legal/judicial reform with a focus on institutions, including strengthening the judiciary, bar associations, and legal aid systems.

Public-Sector Capacity Building for Development

The public sector, which includes government at all levels, is a central actor in almost all development activities. Its policies, programs, and services lay the foundation for progress on health, education, private-sector-led economic growth, trade, environmental sustainability, and equality between women and men.

Development success depends on an effective public sector, with strong institutions, well-qualified employees, and processes that include consultation with the public, reward merit, and sanction inefficiency and corruption.

In relation to public-sector capacity building, The universal goal is to build strong institutions that have the vision and the administrative and professional capacities to support national development objectives effectively, equitably, and inclusively. Global assistance includes strengthening of technical and managerial competencies including oversight, accountability, and anti-corruption measures; organizational, administrative and policy reform; and decentralization of government so that it is closer to the people.

Human Rights for Development

Human rights are a person's most basic rights, such as life, liberty, and security. The first international agreement on human rights―the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was passed by the UN General Assembly in 1948. This Declaration has since been followed by UN covenants on civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights.

The core principles underlying the human rights conventions recognize the equality of all people and the accountability of governments for the promotion, protection, and fulfilment of their rights. Observance of human rights is fundamental to the well-being of individuals and to the sustainable development of societies.

When groups are denied their rights, they can neither contribute to, nor benefit from, social and economic progress. This perpetuates exclusion and often results in conflict, putting progress at risk. Among the groups most commonly excluded are the poor, the elderly, women, children, persons living with disabilities and illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, ethnic minorities, and refugees.

For human rights, unversal goal is to enhance the realization of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights by all individuals in society. The world supports technical assistance to incorporate human rights standards and principles into public institutions and programs to increase knowledge of, demand for, respect for, and enjoyment of human rights. Special measures are taken to strengthen respect for the rights of women and the protection of children.

Human Rights in Education
There is a need for Human Rights Education based on the understanding of the indivisibility of human rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
People are human; therefore they are entitled to Human Rights.

Human Rights do not have to be bought, earned or inherited; they are inalienable, which means that no one has the right to deprive another of them for any reason, even if the laws of their own country do not recognize or protect them.

Human Rights thus set standards for states and governments to protect vulnerable individuals and groups against oppression.

Any modern approach to Human Rights must be coherent. It must include the full, indivisible range of Human Rights. Not only do they mean protection from physical oppression, but involve economic, social and cultural rights.

People face many interrelated problems that can be traced to lack of knowledge on human rights. We believe equipping the people with the knowledge on human rights is the best ever which can happen to them. They will use it, as a tool to combat all human rights violations be it economic, social, political, civil and cultural rights.

In 1948 the United Nations called upon all member countries to publicize the text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.”

Creating a world where human rights starts with effective educational programs that reach across all cultural and geographic boundaries. Human rights education is a core aspect of school curriculum. Within class rooms and beyond youth need to learn and gain better understanding of their human rights and responsibilities.

Human Rights Organisations

Human Rights Videos

MORE VIDEOS

• 1. We Are All Born Free and Equal
• 2. Don’t Discriminate
• 3. The Right to Life
• 4. No Slavery
• 5. No Torture
• 6. You Have Rights No Matter Where You Go
• 7. We’re All Equal Before the Law
• 8. Your Human Rights Are Protected by Law
• 9. No Unfair Detainment
• 10. The Right to Trial

• 11. We’re Always Innocent Till Proven Guilty
• 12. The Right to Privacy
• 13. Freedom to Move
• 14. The Right to Seek a Safe Place to Live
• 15. Right to a Nationality
• 16. Marriage and Family
• 17. The Right to Your Own Things
• 18. Freedom of Thought
• 19. Freedom of Expression
• 20. The Right to Public Assembly

• 21. The Right to Democracy
• 22. Social Security
• 23. Workers’ Rights
• 24. The Right to Play
• 25. Food and Shelter for All
• 26. The Right to Education
• 27. Copyright
• 28. A Fair and Free World
• 29. Responsibility
• 30. No One Can Take Away Your Human Rights

Democratization for Development

Democracy is vital to good governance. It provides the processes and institutions through which a state is accountable to its citizens. Elections are the ultimate forum of accountability for leaders, and all aspects of the process―the electoral machinery, the party system, and the logistics of the vote―need to function well if elections are to be free and fair.


Democratization is the process of making the transition to democracy. It depends on an effective legislature that is supported by strong constitutional and procedural systems and that is sustained by capable legislators, a free media, a strong civil society, and effective citizen engagement.


When democracy is weak, the needs and rights of the population are not represented and consequently are often overlooked or denied. This is particularly true for the rights of the most marginalized members of the population, such as the poor, minorities, women, and children, which further marginalizes them and prevents them from contributing to, or benefiting from, social and economic progress.


The goal of democratization is that all citizens are able to actively and meaningfully participate, directly or through civil society or elected representatives, in the exercise of power and in the public decisions that affect their lives. International assistance in democratization includes strengthening democratic institutions and practices, such as electoral and legislative systems; citizen engagement (particularly of women); and the role of non-governmental organizations (civil society) in the political process.


Source (CIDA)

Good Governance for Development

Good Governance encompasses the values, rules, institutions, and processes through which people and organizations attempt to work towards common objectives, make decisions, generate authority and legitimacy, and exercise power for the benefit of people.

Democracy is a critical element in good governance, has affected nearly every nation on earth. Over the past two decades, more than 81 countries have made significant gains in democratization and are now working to establish stable and effective institutions, improve public sector management, reform their legal and judicial systems, protect human rights, strengthen local civil society, and carry out peacebuilding after armed conflict.

Despite this progress, conflict, corruption, lack of respect for human rights (especially for women), and inadequate public services continue to challenge many countries.

There is a consensus in the international community that the Millennium Development Goals cannot be reached without good governance. Hence every nation needs efforts to build the conditions for secure, equitable development by promoting good governance in democratization, human rights, upholding the rule of law, public-sector capacity building; and conflict prevention.