CONCORD success story, 10th anniversary
Towards Human Rights Based Approaches to Development A CONCORD story Brussels, 24th November 2004. - “Making Development for All Real: Sharing Rights-Based Analysis and Practice". This is the title of that seminar organized at the initiative of Terre des Hommes IF, Plan Europe, ActionAid International, World Vision and Save the Children. 40 participants attended. One year after CONCORD’s foundation, this represented the kick-off of CONCORD’s discussion on Human Rights Based Approaches to Development. Have a look at what the seminar’s report said in 2004: “The goal of the seminar was to start a discussion and share experiences on rights-based approaches among development NGOs, and eventually to bring that discussion into the context of CONCORD’s advocacy work. (…) We aimed to raise questions, rather than provide answers; we hope this report will be a starting point for further action on moving towards a rights-based approach in the European NGO development sector. Ten years later, HRBA constitutes a key objective of CONCORD’s strategy. Members have shared a better common understanding of what HRBA is and agreed to advocate for it. Today, HRBA is fully part of CONCORD’s vision and conviction. HRBA is progressively put as a “corner stone” of CONCORD’s policy expression. As an example, look at the CONCORD’s position for the post-MDG agenda. HRBA is not an option; it is about legal obligations and political engagements. CONCORD did part of its homework to better integrate such commitment in its work. We are still in “progress”. A lot remains to do so that NGOs “ways of doing” refers clearly to HRBA principles. Moreover, as main target of CONCORD’s political action, the EU must still turn HRBA from declarations into coherent policy responses and delivering. This might be the aim of the next CONCORD’s decade. Through CONCORD task force on HRBA and others groups we shall continue our strategic engagement so that the realisation of Human Rights in Development remains a corner stone of CONCORD House. Brussels, 6 May 2013 Salvatore Parata Terre des Hommes International Federation.