Engineering for Human Rights: The Theory and Practice of a Human Rights–based Approach to Engineering

Abstract

The welfare of society and the relationship between people and the natural environment are all directly impacted by engineering work, and codes of ethics are central to the profession. Yet many engineers struggle to incorporate these principles into their daily work because such codes typically emphasize professional conduct without reflecting on the role of engineering within such complex social and environmental systems. In this paper, we propose a human rights–based approach to engineering anchored in five core principles of distributive justice, broad participation, explicit consideration of duty-bearers, accountability for all actors involved, and indivisibility of rights. This is a new paradigm that draws on universal principles to shape individual ethical obligations and the norms of the profession to prevent risk, enhance access to the benefits of technology, and redress social and environmental harms resulting from engineered products or processes. This paradigm could transform both university education and professional practice by harmonizing existing engineering ethics with core human rights obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights.