Peaceful societies promoting the rule of law and providing social protection, equality and access to justice for all, are fundamental to sustainable development.

In conflict areas in particular, there is a persistent need for social protection programmes addressing the rights of vulnerable groups and populations. As gender equality is progressing, the further empowerment of women and girls will play an increasingly crucial role in developing the economic growth of nations.

The equal entitlement to human rights, without discrimination, is a crosscutting issue, as well as a core area, of our operations. Several of our partners come from international law and human rights backgrounds and provide, in combination with our network of external consultants, an extensive platform of experience across the full scope of the human rights based approach (HRBA) to development. Among the services we provide to advance human rights and equality as a whole are:

• Human rights based approach (HRBA) assessment, analysis, implementation and evaluation
• Application of international mechanisms of human rights and international humanitarian law at the international and regional levels
• Human rights implementation, monitoring and reporting in post-conflict and transitional settings
• Legal systems development, strengthening and administration, and the promotion of rule of law and access to justice
• National strategy and action planning, and state reporting mechanisms
• Social protection mechanisms of disadvantaged, marginalised and vulnerable groups and populations
• Gender equality and parity analysis, and implementation of mainstreaming mechanisms
• Provision of equal rights and opportunities mechanisms, including income equality and parity in access to services
• Protection mechanisms against forced labour, violence, abuse and exploration