A Human Rights-based Approach to Participation

Abstract

This article proposes a systematic approach to designing and assessing participatory processes, built from principles in the field of human rights. It argues that participatory processes should be organised around human rights principles which provide detailed but flexible guidance on participatory processes. Drawing from well-established human rights principles and the commentary of human rights bodies on participation, the article outlines a framework that can be used to advocate for, establish, implement, and evaluate participatory processes. It addresses four normative questions relating to participation: what decisions require participation, who should participate, how should participation be implemented, and what consequences should it have on subsequent decisions with human rights norms informing each of these questions.