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Black and white photo of Thomas Hickmann. Photo.

Thomas Hickmann

Associate Professor | Associate Senior Lecturer

Black and white photo of Thomas Hickmann. Photo.

Strengthening the Sustainable Development Goals through integration with human rights

Author

  • Magdalena Bexell
  • Thomas Hickmann
  • Andrea Schapper

Summary, in English

This paper discusses the relationship between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the long-standing human rights system of the United Nations. Thematically, these two modes of global governance strongly overlap. Several SDGs are in line with human rights obligations. At the same time, the SDGs and human rights are based on divergent logics and constructed very differently. After capturing the key characteristics of the two governance modes, this paper highlights the differences between the SDGs and human rights and introduces a novel conceptualisation to enhance our understanding of the relationship between rights-based and goal-based approaches. Against this backdrop, we assess this relationship and argue that human rights have the potential to strengthen and reinforce the SDGs. In particular, we sketch some future pathways to better integrate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with existing human rights instruments to enhance accountability, review, and participation in decision-making in relation to the SDGs.

Department/s

  • Department of Political Science

Publishing year

2023-06-02

Language

English

Pages

133-139

Publication/Series

International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics

Volume

23

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Springer

Topic

  • Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
  • Environmental Sciences

Keywords

  • 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
  • Global governance
  • Human rights
  • Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1567-9764