The United Nations and the Rights-based Approach to Development in India

This article examines how various United Nations agencies are implementing a rights-based approach to development in India. It argues that, while most studies of RBA focus on the promotion of economic, social, and cultural rights through this approach, civil and political rights are also integral to UN efforts. This is important because it suggests a new, more cooperative mode of promoting human rights as an alternative to traditional New York and Geneva-based mechanisms. The article explains how rights are being promoted. It also lays out some strategies that UN bodies use to circumvent host state resistance to outside interference on human rights. Finally, it suggests a course for future rights promotion through these mechanisms.