Strengthening human rights
Every person has civil, political and social rights. Respect for these human rights is as important a prerequisite for sustainable development as fair trade or debt relief. Germany therefore supports the people in its partner countries in articulating and asserting their rights and interests. The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) views development policy as a form of practical human rights policy. more
Women's rights and gender
"Equal rights, equal duties, equal opportunities and equal power for women and men" is one of the basic principles of German development policy. Promoting gender equality is a cross-cutting issue that touches all areas of German development cooperation. Germany's policy is based on international agreements on women's rights. It aims to involve women and men equally in the development process and to improve women's position and their empowerment in the long run. more
Children's rights
Children are our future – that is especially true in developing countries, where in many cases 50 to 70 per cent of the total population is below the age of 25. All a country's hopes are then pinned on children and young people. It is up to them to ensure that their societies undergo the desperately needed social and political change. But extreme poverty, armed conflicts, AIDS and bad governance rob millions of children of their human rights and opportunities in life. The fight for children's rights is therefore a key concern of international and thus also of German development policy. more
Publications
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Applying human rights
in practice
Fact sheets on a human rights-based approach in development cooperation
Topics 195
(PDF 1.5 MB, accessible) -
Development Policy
Action Plan on
Human Rights 2008–2010
Strategies 167
(PDF 225 KB, accessible) -
Gender Equality
The key to realizing
the United Nations'
Millennium Declaration
(PDF 427 KB, accessible) -
Strengthening the Participation of Women in Development Cooperation
Topics 173
(PDF 585 KB, accessible)