Embedding the Rights Based Approach in the daily work of development practicioners

Incorporating the Rights Based Approach (RBA) into development practice is easier said than done. Today, the second day of a workshop on the Rights Based Approach was held at the ICCO head office in Utrecht.

Today's agenda involved an identification of the characteristics of the RBA. Emphasis was put on linking the conceptual framework of the RBA - discussed in the first day of the workshop - to the practical realities and difficulties participants from the Access to Basic Service department face.

Cornelieke Keizer and Lucy Royal-Dowson from Equalinrights facilitated the workshop. During the lunch break we sat with them and discussed their work, the importance of the RBA and how this should be incorporated into ICCO activities.

Cornelieke Keizer tells that Equalinrights started to collaborate with the Access to Basic Service department of ICCO to define RBA strategies and draw lessons for newly created the regional working offices.

Lucy Royal-Dawson explains that these workshops with ICCO staff aim to pull out the characteristics of the Rights Based Approach. The final outcome of this process should be a position paper by the Access to Basic Services department that defines how RBA strategies will be intergrated into ICCO's work.

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Cornelieke Keizer highlights also "the importance of improving the implementation of the RBA" while Lucy Royal-Dowson encourages ICCO to adopt the RBA, since it is in line with its moralistic and ethical approach. They also advise to invest in capacity building and trainings to make sure the Rights Based Approach is incorporated in all levels of the ICCO Alliance.

Wilma Rozenga, one of the participants in the workshop, reflects on the workshop and the way forward.

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She explains that the first day of the workshop focused more on the conceptualisation of the 'Rights Based Approach'. She much valued this second day of the workshop, because it related to the implementation of the RBA in her daily work. Wilma Rozenga sees challenges in how partner organisations can best implement the RBA in their daily work to reach the target population. Additionally, she sheds light on the future of the Rights Based Approach. The participants of the workshop will develop a position paper to ensure that partners will be helped to implement, communicate and monitor the Rights Based Approach.

By Stephanie Zwier

You will soon be able to read the full report of the workshop on the ICCO Alliance RBA wiki