Human Rights and MDGs in Practice by United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) 1:12pm 25th Jul, 2010   The Millennium Development Goals and Human Rights    Human rights are essential to achieving and sustaining development. The Millennium Declaration, adopted by all the world’s leaders in 2000 recognized the link between human rights, good governance and development.    Ten years after the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were established, it is clear that the objectives of human well being and dignity for all, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, will not be achieved if the MDGs are pursued in isolation from human rights.    While some countries are on track to reaching a few of these Goals, more than a billion people are still trapped in extreme poverty. The challenges are most severe in the least developed countries and land-locked countries, some small island developing states and those vulnerable to natural hazards and armed conflict.    Yet, even in countries scoring major successes, large disparities still persist, with millions of people left behind in the race towards achieving the MDGs. Poverty and deprivation is often exacerbated by poor governance and multiple deprivations of human rights.    With only five years until the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, it is essential to renew our commitment to a human rights-based development approach.    Preparations are in full gear for a high-level UN meeting in September 2010 to review progress towards achieving the MDGs. The 2010 high-level meeting should result in a renewal of existing commitments as well as galvanize coordinated action among all stakeholders to strengthen human rights and good governance as an integral part of global development efforts. Governments that pursue development hand-in-hand with human rights stand a better chance of reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).    A new publication by the United Nations Human Rights office (OHCHR) shows what this entails in practice. Entitled “Human Rights and Millennium Development Goals in Practice: A review of country strategies and reporting”, it contributes to the ongoing debates and assessment by providing concrete examples of how human rights contribute to development.    It analyses recent national MDG progress reports and pertinent national development strategy documents of Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Liberia, Nepal, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, Viet Nam and Zambia.    In Bangladesh, for example, the National Water Policy of 1998 and the National Sanitation Strategy of 2005 recognized water and sanitation as human rights, and set targets for universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation to be achieved by 2011 and 2013 respectively.    The Government has officially adopted the Community-Led Total Sanitation approach, which was developed by the Village Education Resource Centre and WaterAid, and has been credited with raising awareness about the importance of sanitation and helping to eliminate open defecation.    It is one of the many examples in the publication that show human rights and key human rights principles of non-discrimination, participation and accountability are complementary, and indispensable indeed, in the pursuit of development and MDGs. Visit the related web page
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