Human Rights-Based and Good Governance Approaches to Social Development

Abstract

This chapter argues that social development should pay more attention to human rights and good governance. In order to make this case, the lack of attention to rights and governance in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is reviewed. It also discusses the way that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have attempted to update and revise the social development agenda for the next 15 years with more attention to human rights and good governance. Drawing on the MDGs and SDGs as flashpoints, it discusses trends within social development from the perspective of human rights and good governance. This chapter contends that social development can only be effectively realized in societies where governments represent their citizens and act on their behalf to bring about social improvements. In many countries, corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, and violations of human rights have severely impeded implementation efforts. Ways of addressing this challenge and ensuring the achievement of human rights and good governance are discussed in the final section.