1. Common Misconceptions on HR mainstreaming
Understanding Human Rights in Cities
Training Workshop
20/04/2015

2. Common Misconceptions on Human Rights main streaming
Understanding Human Rights in Cities - Training Workshop - SESSION 1 - HR & Development
May2015
Common Misconceptions on Human Rights main streaming
Integration of Human Rights into the development discourse does not mean:
HR as rhetorical exercise
HR instrumental to financial standards
HR subordinated to basic needs
HR “softened” in order to gain acceptance
20/04/2015
UN Habitat - Housing Unit, HSUB

3. Human Rights main streaming is not … a Rhetorical Exercise!
Understanding Human Rights in Cities - Training Workshop - SESSION 1 - HR & Development
May2015
Human Rights main streaming is not … a Rhetorical Exercise!
NO: Development by definition contributes to the fulfillment of human rights
NO: I.e. - a water project directly implement the human right to water of the population, etc.
NO: Main streaming of HR implies only adoption of technical legal terminology
The first misconception is the attitude of incorporating human rights terminology into development discourse. With an increasing role of economic and social rights in development assistance, donors have tended to reformulate their terminology, and aid agencies to adjust accordingly.
Beginning with the World Bank, followed by other donor agencies, the claim is made that all development assistance contributes to economic and social rights. For example, agricultural projects, whatever the plan, are claimed to contribute directly to the fulfillment to the right to food. Therefore development cooperation automatically implements ESC rights because it is oriented to improve health or food situation of groups of population.
This approach affirms that development projects and programs by definition constitute an implementation of human rights and there is only need to adopt the technical legal terminology to incorporate human rights.
(Conference of Human Rights in Vienna, 1993)
(Uvin, Incorporation of Human Rights by the Development Enterprise, The Fletcher Journal of Development Studies, 2002)
20/04/2015
UN Habitat - Housing Unit, HSUB

4. Human Rights main streaming is not ….functional to financial standards
Understanding Human Rights in Cities - Training Workshop - SESSION 1 - HR & Development
May2015
Human Rights main streaming is not ….functional to financial standards
NO: HR are important only because instrumental to the fulfillment of economic and financial standards (i.e. World Bank structural adjustment)
NO: Financial analysis of HR
NO: HR main streaming as a selling point to attract funding
Another common misconception is in the example of good governance of the World Bank. The structural adjustment programs of the 80s did live up to expectations and this failure was mainly due to political factors. Governments signed structural adjustment agreements but subsequently failed to implement them correctly. Therefore, the WB designed the good governance agenda, encompassing notions of transparency, accountability, legal framework, to complement to financial programs.
The good governance agenda contained human rights and democracy principles, without mentioning them directly, in order to allow for a more widespread acceptance. Governments in developing Countries would be less resistant to talk of good governance rather than corruption and human rights.
However, in this approach, human rights are instrumental to the realization of financial results and economic standards: surely the framers of the UDHR and the two Covenants did not have in mind to improve the economic and financial standards when they built the human rights framework!
20/04/2015
UN Habitat - Housing Unit, HSUB

5. Human Rights are not… subordinated to Basic Needs
Understanding Human Rights in Cities - Training Workshop - SESSION 1 - HR & Development
May2015
Human Rights are not… subordinated to Basic Needs
NO: Poverty and misery are more urgent than Human Rights
NO: Political and civil rights (right to life, to freedom, etc.) are prevalent to ESC rights seen as ‘secondary rights’
NO: Development programs should address basic needs more urgently than political freedom, democracy and human rights
A last common misconception is that ESC rights are subordinated to intervention to alleviate poverty and misery, under the idea that economic needs are more urgent.
However the realization of political freedoms and human rights are instrumental to the realization of economic needs and vice versa: it is a matter of fact that most part of the conflicts nowadays arise over basic economic, social and cultural rights: access to water sources, cultural intolerance, access to productive land, access to natural resources. Political and human rights are strictly inter-connected with economic needs.
20/04/2015
UN Habitat - Housing Unit, HSUB

6. Human Rights principles “softened” to gain acceptance
Understanding Human Rights in Cities - Training Workshop - SESSION 1 - HR & Development
May2015
Human Rights principles “softened” to gain acceptance
Human Rights hidden behind notions of ‘good governance’, ‘quality of life’, ‘involuntary resettlement’, etc., in order to facilitate acceptance
YES: This approach may be more successful among governments and partners
YES: This approach is key in human rights sensitive environments
NO: Caution! Softening of the language may lead to softening of contents!
Example: Right to the City and ‘good governance’ and ‘involuntary resettlement’ of the WB
20/04/2015
UN Habitat - Housing Unit, HSUB