DFIDS RIGHTS BASED APPROACH

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DFIDS RIGHTS BASED APPROACH

• Sylvia Bluck
• Equity and Rights Team
• November 2006

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Background to RBA in DFID

• DFID adopted a rights based approach in 1997 in
  first policy paper
• The policy was articulated in 2000 Human Rights
  Target Strategy Paper
• This set out 3 pillars of an RBA Participation
  Inclusion and Fulfilling Obligation (The TSP)
• 2004 Review DFIDs Human Rights Work
• Purpose to look at how DFID integrates human
  rights and how this adds value in poverty
  reduction.

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DFID Human Rights Review Findings

• A large body of work at both policy and programme
  levels However
• Focus on human rights principles rather than
  international standards
• Focus on participation and inclusion and less on
  fulfilling obligation
• Could do more to develop the evidence base
• Could be more consistent and co-ordinated across
  DFID.

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Since then

• Many issue/sector specific policy papers and How
  to Notes
• Maternal Mortality How To Note
• Sexual and Reproductive Health
• HIV/AIDS Policy
• Social protection
• But also key developments such as
• UK Human Rights Act
• Conditionality Policy
• White Paper 3 Making Governance work for the
  poor

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Key Government Policy Commitments

• Human Rights Act (UK Govt)
• Human rights part of UK core values
• Guidance aims to help ensure respect for human
  rights in all decisions and actions
• Do no harm but also a positive approach to
  seek opportunities to make progress on rights
• Conditionality Policy (FCO and MOD)
• Three principles in deciding how to provide
  assistance to developing country partners,
  commitment to poverty reduction governance and
  human rights.

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White Paper 3 Making Governance Work for the
Poor

• WP3 emphasises good governance is essential to
  development and requires three things
• State Capability the extent to which leaders
  and governments are able to get things done
• Responsiveness - whether public policies and
  institutions respond to needs of citizens and
  uphold their rights.
• Accountability The ability of citizens, civil
  society and private sector to hold government to
  account.
• This is the CAR Framework

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White Paper 3Country Governance Analysis

• WP3 committed DFID to adopt a Country Governance
  Analysis (CGA)
• to monitor governance developments at the country
  level and
• To guide the way DFID gives aid.
• The Country Governance Analysis will be a
  mandatory part of country planning processes
• It will rely on the CAR Framework and
  assessment of human rights

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The Future Agenda

• Putting White Paper commitments into practice
  taking forward the work on human rights
  indicators for Country Governance Analyses and
  programmes
• Developing guidance on how to use RBA on issues
  and sectors
• Gathering more evidence of the value of RBA
• Training and more for DFID staff on integrating
  human rights into our work
• Participating in the debates with partners NGOs
  donors.