Human rights and development

Abstract

The article traces the development of human rights in traditional international law. The Charter of the UN brought a new level of discourse where human rights have become prime issues. At the regional level, they have received special treatment in Europe, the Americas and Africa, where mechanisms have been set up for their promotion and enforcement. This article considers the present status and characteristics of human rights, including their universality, peculiarities, and generations. It examines specifically the right to development, which has engaged the attention of the General Assembly and lately of the UN Commission on Human Rights. It discusses the arguments in favour and against their legal status, and comes to the conclusion that development is both a right and a duty, and that there is a need for full participation by each people in its own development. It points to possible areas of cooperation between the UN Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the role of international financial institutions and creditor states in alleviating the problems impeding development.