Millennium Development Goals and Human Rights: Past, Present, and Future

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have generated tremendous discussion in global policy and academic circles. On the one hand, they have been hailed as the most important initiative ever in international development. On the other hand, they have been described as a great betrayal of human rights and universal values that has contributed to a depoliticization of development. With contributions from scholars from the fields of economics, law, politics, medicine and architecture, this volume sets out to disentangle this debate in both theory and practice. It critically examines the trajectory of the MDGs, the role of human rights in theory and practice, and what criteria might guide the framing of the post-2015 development agenda. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in global agreements on poverty and development.

• The first comprehensive interdisciplinary study of the relationship between the MDGs and human rights
• Provides both a historical perspective and a range of ideas for informing the post-2015 development agenda
• Contains a diverse range of perspectives from different disciplines
• Authors use different approaches from empirical case studies through to quantitative methods and legal analyses