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Human rights based approaches to developmen t: concepts, evidence, and policy

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  • Gauri, Varun
  • Gloppen, Siri

Abstract

This paper assesses the benefits, risks, and limitations of human rights based approaches to development, which can be catalogued on the basis of the institutional mechanisms they rely on: global compliance based on international and regional treaties; the policies and programming of donors and executive agencies; rights talk; and legal mobilization. The paper briefly reviews the politics of the first three kinds of human rights based approaches before examining constitutionally based legal mobilization for social and economic rights in greater detail. Litigation for social and economic rights is increasing in frequency and scope in several countries, and exhibits appealing attributes, such as inclusiveness and deliberative quality. Still, there are potential problems with this form of human rights based mobilization, including middle class capture, the potential counter-majoritarianism of courts, and difficulties in compliance. The conclusion summarizes what is known, and what remains to be studied, regarding human rights based approaches to development.

Suggested Citation

  • Gauri, Varun & Gloppen, Siri, 2012. "Human rights based approaches to developmen t: concepts, evidence, and policy," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5938, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:5938
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Kaltenborn Markus, 2017. "Overcoming Extreme Poverty by Social Protection Floors – Approaches to Closing the Right to Social Security Gap," The Law and Development Review, De Gruyter, vol. 10(2), pages 237-273, October.
    2. Smidt, Lea & Taube, Lena & Polak, Tobias, 2024. "Do aid agencies comply with human rights requirements in Practice? Systematic evidence on the integration of human rights in German development cooperation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    3. Jenderedjian, Anna & Bellows, Anne C., 2019. "Addressing food and nutrition security from a human rights-based perspective: A mixed-methods study of NGOs in post-Soviet Armenia and Georgia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 46-56.
    4. Güneş Murat Tezcür & Rebecca Schiel & Bruce M. Wilson, 2021. "The Effectiveness of Harnessing Human Rights: The Struggle over the Ilısu Dam in Turkey," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 52(6), pages 1343-1369, November.
    5. Blanchet-Cohen, Natasha & Bedeaux, Christophe, 2014. "Towards a rights-based approach to youth programs: Duty-bearers' perspectives," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 75-81.
    6. Shareen Hertel, 2015. "Hungry for Justice: Social Mobilization on the Right to Food in India," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 46(1), pages 72-94, January.

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