Power Politics, Professionalism, and Patron-Client Relationships in Human Rights Advocacy: How Dalit Rights became Human Rights

Under what conditions does international advocacy contribute to the establishment of new human rights? This article explores the question by examining the advocacy experience of the Dalits, India's 'Untouchables', at the United Nations. After decades of unyielding pleading, starting in 1996 a number of developments led to the recognition of caste discrimination as a human rights abuse at the UN. The article narrates the process by examining three intriguing puzzles that the existing literature has left unaddressed. To this purpose, it looks at the interactions between the concerned actors as patron-client relationships structured by professionalism or power politics. The findings downplay the importance of organizational factors, highlight the competitive dynamics of the 'NGO community', and suggest two different pathways advocacy groups may follow to achieve recognition of new human rights.