The necessary nexus between sustainable development and human rights

Development must be people-centered! This was the specific re-assertion by the over sixty representatives from various governments, civil society organizations, NGOs and development partners attending the 2008 Civil Society Development Forum (CSDF) in Geneva last month. And in the words of Mr. Liberato C. Bautista, President of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CONGO), “the nexus between human rights and sustainable development is not so much as a venue for consensus-making, for such venues have been amply convened, and in many occasions, failed to stir imaginations. The nexus matters because at the junction where human rights and sustainable development meets, they coalesce, they collaborate, they cross-fertilize and they become one”.

The Forum reviewed progress and further developed the recommendations and conclusions outlined in the 20-point Outcome Document resulting from the CONGO New York meeting convened in June 2008. These recommendations will subsequently be submitted to the ECOSOC Bureau and the United Nations Secretariat (UN/DESA) as well as feed into discussions at ECOSOC, including into ECOSOC's reporting to the UN General Assembly. Ultimately, these recommendations will be valuable instruments for assisting us in civil society and non-governmental organizations in shaping our own strategies and in contributing to discussions and debates around development at regional and global fora.

As Africa continues to experience profound transformations, be it political, economic, cultural, social, or technological, we are witnessing the wider populace getting more and more aware of their basic human rights. In many cases where their rights have been denied or disrespected, we have seen men and women, young and old, come out to confront their government leaders and demand for their rights. For instance, a number of countries have experienced some form of ‘citizen-pressure’ for broader participation and inclusiveness in political and economic decision-making, thus opening up political spaces where citizens are demanding for social justice, good governance, equity, accountability, human rights and democracy. Such demands have given birth to new ways of ‘doing’, ‘knowing’ and ‘being’ that is totally different and altering the status quo.

The coalescing of human rights and sustainable development

The achievement of sustainable development in Africa goes hand in hand with the realization of human rights because the two are mutually reinforcing. One cannot help but imagine a time when “everyone [in the 192 member countries of the UN] enjoys living a life entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status”.

In giving invaluable impetus to the advancement of human rights, last year on 10th December, the UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon launched a year-long UN system-wide advocacy campaign to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This year-long commemoration aimed at raising awareness of the Declaration and its relevance to people around the world and will culminate on 10th December 2008, during the Human Rights Day. The motto of this campaign has been “Dignity and Justice for All of Us”.

Sadly, with the almost daily litany of human rights violations around the world, real dignity and justice for all is far from being achieved. One of the principal human rights challenges that Africa face is that of human security. Security for individual and collective citizens is at the core of the enjoyment of basic human rights and for sustainable development. Over 18 countries in Africa are either experiencing or have just experienced armed conflicts, civil wars and other violent crises. This impacts not only the stability of these countries involved, but also their neighbors and the entire sub-region. Those most affected by the insecurity and violence are women and children, with thousands getting killed, displaced, brutally tortured, or sexually violated and exploited and millions left with long-term psychological trauma. For sustainable peace and development, it is important that countries support holistic reconstruction programmes with priority being given to the rehabilitation of the traumatized individuals, and not just the country’s infrastructure. Women in post-conflict countries must be fully engaged in the peace processes and reconstruction efforts, as effective change agents.

Gender-based violence is another grave violation of human rights facing millions of families and communities in several African countries and impacting on their social and economic progress. The ability to live free of violence and discrimination is the right of every human being, yet this right is violated on a massive and systematic scale. Women and young girls are the most affected with the UN giving estimates of “at least one out of every three women likely to be beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime”. Political will and increased resources are required from all development actors to prevent and eradicate violence. Communities, particularly men and young boys need to be mobilized, sensitized and educated on their roles in ending gender based violence and promoting peaceful societies.

And perhaps the greatest challenge is the increasing levels of poverty. It is now estimated that over 400 million people in Africa are living in abject poverty. As a result, people lack access to basic human needs such as of food, water, health care, education, decent dwellings, environmental protection etc.

Yes we can! Can we?
The clock is tickling. The year 2015, which has been set as the time frame for achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and eradicate extreme poverty, is fast approaching. We need to engage in various development strategies right from promoting good governance and gender equality to investing in alternative economic upliftment programmes. However, it is not as if we do not know what needs to be done, since this is clearly spelt out in the various global, regional and national instruments and conventions. So it is time to put the text and words into practical action.

For example, we know research is useful, particularly evidenced and policy-oriented research. The numerous researches done over the years on issues related to gender equality and women’s rights has shown how gender relations are inscribed in laws and norms, traditional and cultural practices, social relationships and institutions. Fortunately, most of these research findings, coupled with intensified advocacy strategies by women’s rights advocates and the sharing of case studies/ lessons learnt have informed international instruments such as the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action, the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Protocol of the Rights of Women in Africa, the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa. Therefore, in terms of achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment governments and all other development actors should focus on implementing such instruments not only at local levels but also in regional and global arenas. These instruments have required compliance by all stakeholders in order to realize women’s empowerment across social, political, economic and cultural domains. Yes we can! we just need to start getting things done. Reinforce what is working on the ground, learn lessons from those that have stalled and come up with new and unique innovations. It will start with me, and you and all of us.

* Rachel Kagoiya is a documentalist at the African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET).

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