Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA)

The Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) integrates the norms and principles of the International Human Rights Declaration into project cycle management. The objective of the HRBA is to empower people (rights-holders) to realize their rights and strengthen the State (duty-bearers) to comply with their human rights obligations and duties. The private sector (and citizens in general) can also be involved in these responsibilities, particularly where the private sector is acting on behalf of the State.

SDC applies the HRBA in Pakistan along the following lines:

§      SDC and its partners refer to active and responsible individuals, groups and institutions with rights and duties and not to target groups;

§      Rights holders’ and duty bearers’ capacities to claim their rights respectively to fulfil their obligations as well as the structural causes of non-realization of rights are analyzed and assessed

§      Power relations are assessed and taken into account for designing projects.

§      Human rights principles are applied at all levels of the Project Cycle Management.