Human Rights and Governance

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Governance consists of the traditions and institutions by which authority in a country is exercised. This includes the process by which governments are selected, monitored and replaced; the capacity of the government to effectively formulate and implement sound policies; and the respect of citizens and the state for the institutions that govern economic and social interactions among them.

More countries than ever before are working to build democratic governance. Their challenge is to develop institutions and processes that are more responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens, including the poor. Human rights and democracy are crucial for development. Both, the United Nations and all donor countries have upheld this concept since the 1990s. Disregard of human rights, justice or democratic principles has weakened the impact and sustainability of development efforts. As a result, bilateral and international agencies have formulated preconditions for the participation in development programmes. Creating efficient, transparent administrations and supporting decentralisation processes and judicial reforms have therefore become a focus of international development aid.

AGEG brings people together within nations and around the world, building partnerships and sharing ways to promote participation, accountability and effectiveness at all levels. We help to emerge, to monitor and to assess activities towards increasing respect of human rights and good governance. Our expertise particularly relates to strengthening civil society organisations and foster their participation in democratic decision making processes. In addition, AGEG draws special attention to minorities in all areas of political and economic life. In addition, our core methodological instruments are addressing the formation of judicial systems that enhance the realisation of political, civil, economic, social and cultural human rights of all individuals. We also help to transfer public institutions of power to the local level, as this improves community service delivery and ultimately leads to poverty reduction.

Services provided by AGEG:

Review of legal frameworks
Institutional and organisational development of judiciaries by providing training for legal practitioners
Strengthening the social sector by promoting social reforms
Capacity building and training on international human rights standards / UN Treaty Bodies
Capacity building and training on the UN Human Rights System and on regional systems as the Interamerican Court for Human rights, the European Court for Human Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
Development and application of methods to strengthen civil society with particular reference to minorities and vulnerable groups
Preparation and implementation of public administrative reforms
Capacity building in decentralisation processes
Design and implementation of anti-corruption concepts and methods

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