Human rights in international cooperation for developmentcontrasting legal and policy approaches

Abstract

Various United Nations instruments emphasize the essential link between human rights and development, advocating for international cooperation to achieve both. The United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development asserts that development encompasses human rights and emphasizes the duty of states to cooperate internationally to remove obstacles to development. Intergovernmental organizations and states, including emerging donors like Brazil and India, are integrating human rights into development cooperation efforts. This contribution outlines approaches taken by key actors and suggests an ideal model for development. This contribution examines the approaches of United Nations development agencies, the European Union, and China in integrating human rights into development cooperation. The landscape of development cooperation has become increasingly diverse, with countries traditionally seen as recipients such as Brazil, India, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates emerging as providers of cooperation. These "new" donors assert that their relationships with partner countries are more respectful and free from colonial influences, including in their approach to human rights.