ODI On... International Human Rights Day 2007

This briefing paper maps the key features of the sustainable livelihoods approaches and human rights-based approaches to poverty reduction and their foundation, content and contributionto analysing poverty in specific contexts, also identifying operational entry points (Section 2). In Section 3 the two approaches are compared, with synergies identified as well as differences. Section 4 then provides some ideas on how the two approaches could be combined, and what could be gained from such a two-pronged approach. Section 5 pulls together some of the most relevant issues and makes initial recommendations for the reader.

Those that advocate in favour of the adoption of ‘rights-based approaches’ need to reflect on both the strengths and limitations for poverty reduction and humanitarian protection, of rights conferred by citizenship and of locally developed norms, as well as of international and regional human rights standards.