Linking Human Rights and Development: Is there Value Gained or Lost?

This paper seeks to examine the possible benefits and losses that could accrue from linking human rights and development. The paper was prepared using a desktop research wherein various previous articles were examined to ascertain the extent to which the link between the human rights and development discourses is espoused. There have been growing debates regarding linking Human rights and Development. Leading multilateral development institutions such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Bank have also embraced the Human Rights- Development nexus. Considering the fact that both these discourses have existed in parallel for a very long time an attempt to merge them is likely to be met with some measure of resistance or acceptance. Therefore, this paper seeks to evaluate the extent to which the link between Human Rights and Development adds value or loss to the development agenda. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n1p47