HUMAN-RIGHTS REQUIREMENTS TO SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC-DEVELOPMENT

This paper presents the normative framework of international human rig hts and the duty of states to cooperate for development, starting with the Charter of the United Nations and proceeding to examine the Inter national Bill of Human Rights and the various international instrument s (treaties and declarations) built upon it. By ratifying some of thes e instruments, a large majority of states have undertaken legally bind ing obligations to ensure freedom from hunger and to promote adequate standards of living, including food, nutrition and care. The paper not es that promotion of human rights and development, two purposes that a re closely interrelated in the Charter of the United Nations, have sin ce followed two separate trajectories, but efforts are now under way t o bring them closer together, as manifested in particular by the Decla ration on the Right to Development, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1986. The paper further points out that under i nternational human rights law a comprehensive system of international reporting and monitoring by expert bodies has been developed. Full tra nsparency has been achieved by ensuring that the state reports are mad e public and their examination by the international expert bodies are open to anyone interested. It is indicated that for reporting in the d evelopment field, comparable transparency and examination could be dev eloped, including for international agencies and other bodies dealing with food and nutrition issues.