To Human Development & Human Rights
Nexus Exists

By Krishna Chandra Chalisey

HUMAN development is being promoted as an important dimension of development across the globe. UNDP ranks all the countries on the basis of human development indexes every year. Canada was ranked the best and number one this year among the 174 countries. Human development is the process of expanding people’s choices by developing their capabilities. Three essential capabilities that are required at all level of development are-to lead a long and healthy life, to be knowledgeable and to have access to the resources needed for a decent standard of living. The seven fundamental freedoms that a citizen is expected to enjoy in a democratic country are freedom from discrimination, freedom from fear, freedom of thought and speech, freedom from want, freedom to develop and realise one’s potential, freedom from injustice, and freedom for decent work. There is a close linkage between human development and human rights. They complement each other. The theme of Human Development Report, UNDP,2000, is Human Development and Human Rights. According to this report, human development is essential for realising human rights and human rights are essential for full human development. World-wide 1.2 billion people are income poor, living on less than $ 1 day. New dimensions to human rights are being added. A decent standard of living, adequate nutrition, health care, education, decent work and protection against calamities are not just development goals-they are also human rights. Poor countries need faster growth to generate the resources to support poverty alleviation programmes and the realisation of human rights. But economic growth alone is not sufficient. It needs to be accompanied by policy reforms that channel funds for poverty alleviation programmes and human development. Also, there should be programmes towards building institutions, shaping norms and reforming laws to promote human rights. The system of global governance needs to be transparent for ensuring that growth is pro-poor, pro-rights and sustainable.

Human poverty and income poverty are two different things. Human poverty is impoverishment in multiple aspects - deprivation in a long and healthy life, in knowledge, in a decent standard of living and in participation whereas income poverty is defined by deprivation in a single aspect-income. The human development index measures average achievement in a country in three basic dimensions-a long and healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living. It comprises three factors-life expectancy at birth, educational attainment (adult literacy and combined gross primary, secondary and tertiary enrolment ratio) and GDP per capita. The goal of human development is to create an enabling environment in which people’s capabilities can be enhanced and their range of choices expanded. The Rio Summit 1992 adds-human beings are the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to health and productive life in harmony with nature. The Copenhagen Social Development Summit 1995 mentions - eradicating poverty is an ethical, social, political and economic imperative of human kind.

We need to see diversity as strength not as a weakness. We have to promote multiculturalism and human solidarity. Indigenous people are still the most deprived of economic, social and cultural rights in both developing and developed countries. Now we are in an era of democratic change and transition. Human freedoms face new threats from transition, conflicts, xenophobia, human trafficking and religious fundamentalism. Poverty, growing inequalities in income, human development and socio-economic opportunities and gross violation of human rights in internal conflicts are threats to new and infant democracy. The transition to democracy is fraught with fragility.

What we have today is democracy. We actually need inclusive democracy. Of course, there can not be a choice between authoritarianism and democracy. The challenge is to deepen and enrich fragile democracies. The features of inclusive democracy are an independent judiciary, police reform, non-discrimination against women in politics, minority participation in decision making, reducing horizontal inequalities through economic measures, autonomous election to guard sanctity of the voters, internal democracy in political parties, promotion of minority rights by creating political space and encouraging partnership and pro-poor human development policies and a reasonable distribution of the resources. Threats from majoritan democracy are exclusion from participation, bypassing of the rule of law, oppression and impoverishment. The failure to integrate minorities has resulted in much social unrest.

There are horizontal inequalities in access to political and economic resources that is breeding conflicts. Cultivating a democratic culture at all levels of society is a radical process. It usually threatens existing values, inequities and injustices. The task is complicated further by the violent activities. The societies struggling to create a culture of democracy on the ashes of violence are Cambodia and South Africa. The lesson should be enough for our rulers.

It is justice, not charity that is wanting in the world. Expanding human capabilities and securing human rights can empower poor people to escape poverty. The basic elements that contribute to poverty eradication are-pursuing pro-poor economic growth, restructuring budgets, ensuring participation, protecting environmental resources and the social capital of poor communities, removing discrimination and securing human rights in law. Without rule of law and fair administration of justice, human rights laws are no more than paper.

An accountable government is a bottom line requirement for good governance. This requires organised people capable to claim for their political space. It also requires devolution of authority to local governments and transparency in use of public funds. The pattern of growth should benefit to poor. The growth should not be ruthless, jobless, voiceless, futureless and rootless to the poor. We have talked and preached a lot. It is high time to move from the rhetoric of universal commitment to the reality of universal achievement.