18 June 2019: The Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) held a webinar on strategic tools developed by the Institute to operationalize the synergies between SDGs and human rights, namely the Human Rights Guide to the SDGs and the SDG-Human Rights Data Explorer.

Of the 169 SDG targets, 92% are linked to international human rights instruments.

During the webinar on 18 June 2019, Adrian Hassler, DIHR, reported that 92% of the 169 SDG targets are linked to international human rights instruments, with the issues of some SDG issues represented in those instruments more than others, such as SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities).

Hassler explained that there are three key human rights mechanisms:

• the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) under the UN Human Rights Council, which reviews the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States on a periodic basis;
• UN treaty bodies that consist of committees of independent experts that monitor State parties’ obligation to respect, protect and fulfill the rights set up in the core international human rights treaties; and
• Special Procedures, which mandate independent human rights experts to report and advise on all civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights from a thematic or country-specific perspective, without requiring countries to have ratified a human rights instrument.

Hassler said that these established mechanisms can be used for the follow-up of the 2030 Agenda. He said linking the global human rights system with the 2030 Agenda can bring added value, considering that: human rights instruments are legally binding and universal; they are based on principles of equality and non-discrimination; they are associated with several inclusive consultation processes and follow-up recommendations; and they come with a range of oversight bodies that assess States in fulfilling their obligations.

Since the 2030 Agenda’s adoption in 2015, DIHR has been looking at ways to operationalize the links between human rights and the 2030 Agenda, Hassler said. Among other developments, the Institute has developed the Human Rights Guide to the SDGs. The Guide shows, for each Goal and target, relevant human rights instrument, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as text or article of these instruments that corresponds to the SDG target. The Guide is available in English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Danish and Spanish.

Hassler also presented the SDG-Human Rights Data Explorer, an updated version of which was released in January 2019. The Explorer allows users to explore recommendations from international human rights mechanisms for the SDGs and their targets in specific countries. The database includes filters to explore human rights recommendations by Goal and target, mechanism, year, and groups (children, human right defenders, women and girls, indigenous peoples, internally displaced persons, LGTBI, members of minorities, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, older persons and persons with disabilities). The Data Explorer also provides access to the full documents in which recommendations are made.

The webinar was provided in English on 18 June, in Spanish on 19 June, and in French on 20 June. [DIHR Website] [The Human Rights Guide to the Sustainable Development] [SDG-Human Rights Data Explorer] [Webinar webpage] [SDG Knowledge Hub Sources]