Monday 23 June 2014

EU Council Conclusions on a Rights-based Approach to Development Cooperation, Encompassing All Human Rights

Last month, in Brussels, the Council of the European Union adopted a series of conclusions on a rights based approach to development cooperation. Among the conclusions, the Council “acknowledges the fundamental role of civil society in promoting human rights, notably through their contribution to the empowerment of rights-holders, awareness-raising and fostering accountability and transparency.

The Council stresses the need for continued EU support for human rights defenders, capacity-building of local civil society organisations and promoting a safe and enabling environment in both law and practice that maximises their contribution to development. Being closer to citizens and interacting with civil society, local authorities also play a crucial role in the effective implementation of a rights-based approach.”

It is worth noting that the conclusions also refer to the Toolbox developed by the European Commission for the implementation of the Rights Based Approach (RBA), describing how to systematically apply a RBA into EU development cooperation, including in the EU project cycle management, and is, therefore, a useful tool for CSOs as well. The Toolbox can be found here, while the full Council Conclusions on RBA are available here.


Source: CIDSE EU News – Issue 2 – June 2014

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