Human Rights Mainstreaming Guideline
NZAID Commitment and Rationale
Cabinet has agreed (CAB Min (09) 13/3C) “that cross-cutting and thematic issues (including gender, the environment and human rights) should be pursued as a means to ensure good outcomes and manage risks”.
NZAID’s mission is to “support sustainable development in developing countries, in order to reduce poverty and to contribute to a more secure, equitable and prosperous world” with a core focus on sustainable economic development. Economic development, poverty, equality and security are not just development issues; they are also human rights. NZAID’s efforts to help developing countries address these rights are consistent with our international obligations under international law.
It has been demonstrated that a failure to consider human rights in development programming can lead to negative and unintended impacts. NZAID is expected to meet international commitments on human rights and will aim to achieve a credible, good practice aid programme. This requires NZAID to take human rights into account during policy and strategy development and throughout the activity cycle. Human rights are to be pursued as a means to ensure good outcomes and manage risks across NZAID programmes however, rather than as ends in themselves.
MFAT is the NZ government’s lead agency on international human rights dialogue. NZAID staff will wish to coordinate closely with their counterparts in Human Rights Division and regional divisions during programme strategy development, particularly where there are concerns about a partner country’s human rights record or the impact of proposed activities.