Mapping the frontiers of sustainable development and human rights as a field of enquiry

Abstract

The relationship between human rights, development, and sustainable development is not a straightforward one, yet these concepts can be traced to the notion of protecting and advancing human dignity. The rights-based dimensions of sustainable development can be studied in various ways, and this special issue seeks to delve into and challenge the complex nexus of human rights and sustainable development from theoretical and practical perspectives. The contributions in this special issue show that there currently are two main trends in thinking about the relationship between human rights and sustainable development. The first is a ‘harmonious’ understanding of human rights and sustainable development that seeks to find the interlinkages and commonalities which strengthen both. The second is a ‘creative tension’ understanding, that highlights how the concepts challenge each other's underlying assumptions. In addition to the ‘harmonious interpretation’-‘creative tension’ axis, studies in this field can also be organised along a ‘practice vs theory’ axis. Taken together, these axes provide a field of enquiry into human rights and sustainable development in both the so-called ‘developed’ and ‘developing world’ while setting the scene for further research into this rapidly developing field. 1