How can private sector
development initiatives
contribute to both
poverty reduction and
human rights? The
private sector can
contribute to poverty
reduction by providing
jobs, investment and
training, which generate
incomes as well as goods
and services. While
donors are increasingly
looking to human rights
principles to help
design, implement and
evaluate programming
that contributes to
poverty-reduction, less
attention has been paid
to how private sector
development initiatives
could promote human
rights.
A 2008 NSI discussion
paper prepared with a
financial contribution
from the Canadian
International
Development Agency draws
on both literature and
interviews with selected
OECD donor agencies,
financial institutions,
and civil society
organizations. It finds
that approaches to
promoting both human
rights and private
sector development in
developing countries is
an evolving field.
The discussion paper was
the focus of a public
meeting in November 2008
at The North-South
Institute with
government officials and
civil society
organizations.
Participants shared
their experiences in
working with human
rights principles in
projects, concluding
that human rights
methodologies need to be
kept simple, flexible,
and sensitive to
culture.
In February 2009, the
lead author, Heather
Gibb, presented findings
from the paper at a
workshop on human rights
and private sector
development hosted by
the CIDA Egypt Program
and Protecting Children
who Work Project (PPIC-Work)
in Cairo.
In May 2009, The North-South
Institute in
collaboration with the CIDA Egypt Program, PPIC-Work,
and Mennonite Economic
Development Associates,
hosted a panel
discussion at CIDA on how donor
agencies' private sector
development initiatives
could also promote human
rights.
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