Employment, Basic Needs and Human Development: Elements for a New International Paradigm in Response to Crisis

This article reviews various strands of development policies such as employment and basic needs policies, structural adjustment policies, human rights and human development policies, as well as policies emanating from the so-called Washington Consensus leading to current globalization practices. It argues that the present global crisis presents an important opportunity for making major changes in the objectives, directions and operations of the international system. Major efforts of financial and economic stimulus without such changes are short-sighted and dangerous. A new approach, a shift of paradigm or framework, is needed that is more flexible, less dogmatic, and is multi-disciplinary and clearly directed to long-term international goals: sustainability, stability, equity and human rights. There is also a need for more coherence in objectives and strategies across the system of international organizations. The human development paradigm, now marking its 20th anniversary, has many of the qualities required to be the basis for such an international framework, adapted to the specifics of each country. Some moves toward this should be considered.