SDGs overlap with the Human Rights framework on the most basic level – leave no one behind. Human Rights form a big part of the social aspect of sustainable development, but is also connected to the economic and environmental sustainability in aspiring to guarantee just livelihoods for all in the present and in the future.
Agenda 2030 and human rights also have in common that they are positive values, meaning they both describe the aspired state of the art. However, human rights can have more legal weight. Connecting the most prominent SGD targets in your work to relevant human rights instruments can therefore give a useful legal- and policy context. This might help you in advocating for its necessity, relevance and implementation.
Many local governments are accountable to human rights commitments made by national governments, as UN member states. Just like with the SDGs, much of the implementation requires local action by local governments. Inclusion of marginalised groups and participation of all stakeholders is crucial for both frameworks. Many local governments also connect human rights to their local policies and frameworks in a way that is very similar to localising SDGs. It is a good idea to see how these frameworks overlap.
This online tool is an easy way to trace the relevant human rights articles to your key SDGs and targets, that are most important in your change project. Simply click on the goal and see the corresponding human rights. Then, to effectively use this information in advocacy, control for what your country has ratified and/or written into national policy.
Tip! Notice the targets and indicators connected to a selected goal. Think of the previous sections. What are the relevant groups concerned by these, in relation to the issue you have in mind? What data you would need to analyse progress?
Further learning
For a deeper understanding of how local governments (and ICLD) work with human rights in practice, including a deeper understanding how it connects to the Sustainable Development Goals, check ICLD’s course on a Human Rights-Based Approach. Even more practical, the course on Human Rights Budgeting explains how to analyse the local budget with the objective of fulfilling human rights.