This analysis by the Development Policy Committee (DPC) examines the realisation of a human rights-based approach in Finland’s development policy and development cooperation. We include here recommendations for strengthening human rights-based development in future government terms of office.

Within a human rights-based approach, human rights and related obligations guide development policy and development cooperation goals, placing respect for, protection and promotion of human rights at its centre. Particular attention is paid to people and groups of people who are least able to enjoy these rights and to those responsible for their realisation. The guiding principles are participation and inclusion, non-discrimination and equality, accountability and transparency.

In recent years, Finland's development policy has become more human rights based, with human rights being attended to more diligently in development cooperation. But we think that Finland should take an even more ambitious approach to the issue, so that an increasing proportion of development policy would in future promote human rights more actively and address human rights challenges. This requires political will, clear aims, expertise and appropriate resources from the various actors involved.

Although a human rights-based approach has been taken into account in the planning of development cooperation, there is much variation in its implementation and monitoring. NGOs and bilateral cooperation have played an important role in carrying out the human rights-based approach. Finland has strongly emphasised human rights issues in its policy advocacy in fragile regions and in its multilateral cooperation. Nevertheless, this emphasis has not been uniformly reflected at the level of development cooperation interventions. Support in the form of loans and investments, especially to private sector actors, has increased in recent years. In this area, a human rights-based approach is mainly reflected in the management of risks to human rights. Going forward, it will be important to carry out a strategic analysis of the financial channels and means of development policy and cooperation so as to strengthen the human rights-based nature of development cooperation in Finland.

This applies not only to development cooperation as such, but also to a broader range of policy areas, Finland’s overall external relations and international advocacy. In inter-ministerial cooperation and coordination, a human rights-based approach should be seen as an important means of fulfilling the 'leave no one behind' principle of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Alongside governments and ministries, Parliament plays a key role in decision-making concerning the guidelines for Finland’s development policy and the overall funding of its implementation, and thus in ensuring a human rights-based approach. This approach is also an important guideline for Finland’s advocacy at the international level, especially within the UN and the EU.