Human rights, health and development

Those who work on the implementation of human rights, improved health for all and human development have in common aspirations to improve human welfare, the relationships between people, and the environments in which we live. Each reflects shared individual and collective aspirations for a better life, and is grounded in both moral and instrumental values revolving around fundamental concepts of dignity, justice, wellbeing and progress. While all three areas have long histories of struggle, the events of the last two centuries have underlined their global significance, the need for deepening our understanding of their links and the importance of developing analytical tools to identify and manage the potential offered by a human rights approach to improving health and the process of development.