The Estonian Human Rights Centre’s project “Human Rights-Based Development Cooperation: Knowledge and Tools” aims to strengthen the application of a human rights-based approach in development cooperation by providing practical knowledge and tools for organisations operating in Estonia to use it more systematically.
To achieve the project’s objectives, EHRC’s experts will enhance their competence, a training programme will be developed, and a tool will be created to help ensure that development cooperation projects – from planning to implementation and funding – align with human rights principles. EHRC’s staff will be trained by Agneta Johansson, a lawyer specialising in international law, who has worked with various development cooperation projects for over 30 years.
“If Estonia wants to express support for a rules-based international order, it makes sense to also ensure that our development cooperation promotes human rights,” explains Egert Rünne, Director of the Estonian Human Rights Centre. “The protection of human rights cannot be selective – if we, as a state, stand for democratic values, then we must also take them into account in activities related to development cooperation. The Human Rights Centre helps make that possible.”
A human rights-based approach to development cooperation is an internationally recognised principle that ensures development programmes promote human rights, reduce inequality, and contribute to strengthening democracy and the rule of law. At its core is the consideration of the needs of people in partner countries and the prevention of unintended negative consequences (the “do no harm” principle).
As a result of the project, EHRC will offer knowledge and tools that help organisations systematically promote human rights in their activities and assess the impact of these efforts on development cooperation and investments in developing countries.
The project is supported by the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV).
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