sustainable development 20 years on from the ... - José Eli da Veiga

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rights approach identifies, firstly, rights holders and the object of those rights; and secondly, the
corresponding duty bearers and the obligations pertaining to them. Likewise, the approach aims to
strengthen the capacity of rights holders to uphold their rights and help duty bearers fulfil their
obligations. It provides tools to enable people to participate in formulating policy and in demanding
action from the State (OHCHR, <strong>20</strong>06). The approach emphasizes the need to improve accountability
systems and ensure access to information on environmental issues. It also defines the obligation to
implement specific policies targeting groups of people that are in situations of disadvantage as a result
of discrimination, poverty, health (for example, people living with HIV) and socioeconomic inequality
(see chapters II and IV). 3
The human rights principles set out below are directly related to <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong> and reaffirm
the importance of considering all social groups in <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong> policies. They are also consistent
with principle 1 of the Rio Declaration, which places the human being at the centre of <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong>
concerns and with principle 10, which affirms the importance of citizen participation:
(i)
The principles of equality and non-discrimination ensure that the poorest and excluded are
not left behind in the drive to eradicate poverty and achieve <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong>.
(ii) The accountability principle ensures greater commitment and transparency in national and
international efforts to clarify the duties and responsibilities of developing countries, donor
States and non-State actors.
(iii) The participation principle ensures that people, particularly the poorest and excluded, are
active participants rather than passive recipients in terms of poverty eradication and
<strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong>.
Under the rights approach, assuring human rights —including those relating to participation by
various social groups in transition to <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong>— is not an option for governments, but an
obligation under internationally assumed commitments. This needs to be reflected in the priority accorded
to those topics in public programmes and budgets. An essential step in ensuring social participation and
the representativeness of groups identified by the Rio Declaration is the ratification and implementation
of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on
the Rights of the Child and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
(OHCHR, <strong>20</strong>08).
The Rio principles should also be interpreted in light of the evolution of the concepts and
approaches adopted by the international community, under the Platform for Action of the Fourth World
Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, at subsequent conferences on women and at the
International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo in 1994. In accordance with
principle 8 of the Rio Declaration, it was recognized that, to achieve <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong> and a better
quality of life for people, States should reduce and ultimately eliminate un<strong>sustainable</strong> patterns of
production and consumption, and promote appropriate policies, including population policies, so as to
equitably meet the population, <strong>development</strong> and environment needs of present and future generations. In
3
This report refers to “disadvantaged groups”, which include women, indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants,
older persons, children and the disabled, in situations of “vulnerability” arising from conditions of
discrimination, poverty, health and socioeconomic inequality. These situations prevent them from gaining access
to services, resources, education and basic information, which weakens their capacity to overcome impacts and
puts them at greater risk.