National Human Rights Action Planning

This book deals with human rights action planning, as a largely under-researched area, from theoretical, doctrinal, empirical, and practical perspectives, and as such, provides the most comprehensive studies of human rights planning to date. At the theoretical level, by advancing a novel general theory of human rights planning, it offers an alternative to the traditional state-centric model of planning. This new theory contains four sub-theories: contextual, substantive, procedural, and analytical ones. At the doctrinal level, by conducting a textual analysis of core human rights conventions, it reveals the scope and nature of the states' obligation to adopt a plan of action for implementing human rights. At the empirical level, a cross-case analysis of national human rights action plans of 53 countries is conducted exploring the major problems of these plans in different phases of planning and uncovering the underlying causes of these problems. At the practical level, this volume sets out how these plans should be developed and implemented, how they can be best monitored by international human rights bodies, and how to maximize their effectiveness. With discussions bridging human rights theory and practice and development discourse, this book will be a useful resource for a wide range of audiences, from academics of different disciplines (law, human rights, social policy, political science, political philosophy, legal philosophy, development studies, planning studies, socio-legal studies) to governments, human rights practitioners, and the UN human rights bodies.

Legal Sources in Business and Human Rights takes stock of different aspects of Business and Human Rights practice in order to identify and explore some dynamics that are driving the evolution of the legal sources of international and EU law in the field of B&HRs.

Human rights education makes an essential contribution to the realization of all human rights. In 2004, the General Assembly proclaimed the World Programme for Human Rights Education (2005-ongoing) with a view to support and encourage national action and strengthen partnerships and cooperation. The third phase (2015-2019) of the World Programme focuses on strengthening implementation of the first two phases and promoting human rights training for media professionals and journalists; adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2014, this plan of action provides practical guidance for implementing this phase nationally. It targets all stakeholders, including governments, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations, higher education institutions as well as intergovernmental organizations.

Regular physical activity is proven to help prevent and treat noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease stroke diabetes and breast and colon cancer. It also helps to prevent hypertension overweight and obesity and can improve mental health quality of life and well-being. In addition to the multiple health benefits of physical activity societies that are more active can generate additional returns on investment including a reduced use of fossil fuels cleaner air and less congested safer roads. These outcomes are interconnected with achieving the shared goals political priorities and ambition of the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. The new WHO global action plan to promote physical activity responds to the requests by countries for updated guidance and a framework of effective and feasible policy actions to increase physical activity at all levels. It also responds to requests for global leadership and stronger regional and national coordination and the need for a whole-of-society response to achieve a paradigm shift in both supporting and valuing all people being regularly active according to ability and across the life course. The action plan was developed through a worldwide consultation process involving governments and key stakeholders across multiple sectors including health sports transport urban design civil society academia and the private sector.

Racism and racial discrimination hinder progress and cause suffering for millions of people in all countries around the world. Lasting improvements to counter racial discrimination at the national level require political will and a sustained and comprehensive approach. This publication is a tool for national human rights institutions (NHRIs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as individuals and groups affected by racial discrimination. It focuses on the need for comprehensive strategies and policies in the fight against racial discrimination, provides background information on the concept of national human rights action plans, and describes in detail the different phases for producing a national action plan with examples on how to set realistic objectives, clear targets and specific goals.

This book deals with human rights action planning, as a largely under-researched area, from theoretical, doctrinal, empirical, and practical perspectives, and as such, provides the most comprehensive studies of human rights planning to date. At the theoretical level, by advancing a novel general theory of human rights planning, it offers an alternative to the traditional state-centric model of planning. This new theory contains four sub-theories: contextual, substantive, procedural, and analytical ones. At the doctrinal level, by conducting a textual analysis of core human rights conventions, it reveals the scope and nature of the states' obligation to adopt a plan of action for implementing human rights. At the empirical level, a cross-case analysis of national human rights action plans of 53 countries is conducted exploring the major problems of these plans in different phases of planning and uncovering the underlying causes of these problems. At the practical level, this volume sets out how these plans should be developed and implemented, how they can be best monitored by international human rights bodies, and how to maximize their effectiveness. With discussions bridging human rights theory and practice and development discourse, this book will be a useful resource for a wide range of audiences, from academics of different disciplines (law, human rights, social policy, political science, political philosophy, legal philosophy, development studies, planning studies, socio-legal studies) to governments, human rights practitioners, and the UN human rights bodies.

While many countries seek to improve their capacity to protect and promote human rights in accordance with constitutional imperatives and Commonwealth values, they often lack a clear roadmap on how to do so. Currently, there is no single and easy-to-use model which Commonwealth countries can use as a basis for planning the process. This guide will particularly useful for those in smaller countries who wish to develop a human rights plan. The action plan makes three key points: first that full public participation in the development of a national action plan is key to a successful outcome, secondly that putting the plan into operation need not mean adding another bureaucratic layer to government, and thirdly that the model is a model only, and not intended to be prescriptive.

By giving numerous examples of practical approaches, this publication shows that there are various ways for donor agencies to take human rights more systematically into account – in accordance with their respective mandates, modes of engagement and comparative advantage.