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Implementation of human rights standards and international
human rights mechanisms in the decision-making processes at all levels of public
governance is generally acknowledged priority of the public management reforms
in the post-soviet states. However, the congruence among human rights, good
governance and economic development, in particular, at the local level, and
relationship between human rights and Millennium Development Goals remain not
properly understood and, thus, underexplored. This means that new and important
issues, such as state failure or the links between social exclusion, discrimination
and poverty are not studies at all either. 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 ratification of
key international documents, e.g. 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 such issues as justice, accountability,
poverty reduction, employment, social inclusion, non-discrimination, public
health, conflict prevention, women and children are fundamental concern of
local development.
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.
Against the background of above points, the proposed
Working Group is aimed at (1) in-depth analysis of how the values of human
rights create conditions for effective governance and economic development in
the post-soviet states; (2) introduction of good governance concept and human
rights standards into local development programs; (3) providing clear
policy-oriented recommendations of how to realize the potential of good
governance for people-oriented economic development; and (4) contribution to
research-led teaching in the area of good governance.
Thematically, the proposed Working Group will focus
on: 1) public policies and strategies through which human rights strengthen
efforts to achieve economic development goals; 2) specific case studies of good
governance practice in CEE and the CIS countries, establishing the promotion of
justice, accountability and transparency, generating public participation and
responding to key challenges for human rights and economic development, such as
corruption and violent conflict; 3) themed comparative analysis, covering possible
areas of comparing national approaches in different spheres of developments
and/or aspects of good governance in terms of the guidance they take from
public policy and the role human rights play in policy formulation and
implementation.
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