Human rights and development both aim to promote well-being and freedom, based on the inherent dignity and equality of all people. Applying human rights based approach to development will enable governments to enhance the effectiveness of their work through a focus on equality and non-discrimination, accountability, justice, and transparency as the core of human development.

Partly, this might be explained with higher priorities by international and national human rights organizations during the first decade of the reforms, who focused their efforts on adoption of human rights standards in the legislation of post-Soviet countries and THE ratification of key international documents, such as the European Convention on Human Rights, European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages, etc. At the same time, there has been growing understanding of the links among human rights, effective governance and economic development whereas issues such as justice, accountability, poverty reduction, employment, social inclusion, non-discrimination, public health, conflict prevention, women and children are fundamental concern of local development.