Inclusive growth as rights-based development

In this overview essay, the late Professor Arjun Sengupta traces the theoretical and operational roots of contemporary approaches to growth and redistribution in general. In particular, he argues the case of pursuing 'inclusive growth' in the process of development. After a critical examination of the applicability of various approaches to welfare policy, the essay focuses on a human rights-based approach, arguing that it is an indispensable moral, legal and operational rationale for enabling and securing the potential inclusiveness of growth. The main argument is that a growth process becomes inclusive when every individual has access to the different elements of the well-being, without being prevented from enjoying these rights because of any legal and social barrier. In matching economic growth and development, governments should therefore prioritize the fulfilment of human rights over all other policies.