Development and Human Rights

Sir Richard Jolly, Honorary Professor Institute of Development Studies Sussex, and former deputy executive director of UNICEF, 1982-1995 A must-read book for human rights proponents, governments or civil society, especially for its positive but frequently misunderstood message. In countries where advocacy for human rights is politically sensitive, real progress can still be made not by public confrontation but indirectly by promoting rights-based development programs. In this original and carefully documented study, Joel Oestreich shows where and how this indirect approach has avoided government opposition, delivered on the specifics, and yet, in doing so, has mobilized community awareness of their rights and stimulated further community action."


Thomas G. Weiss, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York Oestreich's analysis of UN advocacy and implementation of first and second generation rights in the world's biggest democracy breaks new ground in demonstrating why multilateralism matters. As the book's subtitle makes clear, UN officials can make a difference to the quality of human life in reality, not merely in rhetoric."


Kurt Mills, Senior Lecturer in International Human Rights, University of Glasgow Development and Human Rights solidifies Oestreich's reputation as a leader in the deep study of international organizations. This important contribution to the analysis of international organizations beyond the global level carefully illustrates how international organizations act intrusively in, and independently of, states, while simultaneously navigating resistance within states. It demonstrates the necessity - and difficulty - of maintaining a connection between economic, social and cultural rights and civil and political rights to further transformative development."

Joel E. Oestreich is Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the International Area Studies Program at Drexel University. He is the author of Power and Principle: Human Rights Programming in International Organizations.

Chapter 1: Human Rights, Politics, and Development Chapter 2: Development and Human Rights in India Chapter 3: The United Nations Development Programme Chapter 4: The United Nations Children's Fund Chapter 5: Other UN Agencies Involved in RBA Chapter 6: Strategies and Outcomes of Rights-Based Approaches Chapter 7: Conclusion: New Ways of Pursuing Human Rights Promotion Notes Index