CHAPTER 5: NHRIS, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE The MDGs form a blueprint agreed to by the world’s countries and leading development institutions.10 The goals are the direct result of commitments to: 11 human 11 the rights generally; protection of the vulnerable; 11 compliance 11 efforts with international instruments; and to improve the lives of the most vulnerable. The goals correspond to many rights set forth in the UDHR. For example, goals number 1, 3, 4 and 8 related directly to Article 25 of the UDHR (“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and the well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing, medical care and necessary social services. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance”) and goal number 2 relates directly to Article 26 (“Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages”.) MDGs can further be aligned to the work of NHRIs, with clear linkages between MDGs and ESC rights: The realisation of the UN MDGs by the target date of 2015 is a material test of whether ESC rights have been successfully implemented. All eight MDGs are important to human rights generally. For women and children, who are so much the focus of development work, MDG Goals 3 and 5 are of particular relevance. NHRIs can incorporate the MDGs into their existing work on gender equality. MDGs are linked to inequality and discrimination at a general level and are also of particular relevance to issues facing women, in part because women are often disproportionately affected by the areas targeted by the Goals, including extreme poverty and hunger. The MDGs offer a key opportunity to improve human rights around the world. To be sustainable, the State should establish long-term strategies aimed at achieving the Goals as well as ensuring that human rights obligations are respected. The 2005 Millennium Project Report recommended: “in every country in which national human rights institutions exist, it should be given an explicit mandate to review and report on the realisation of the MDG targets at regular intervals”.11 UNCT staff are uniquely well-positioned to support NHRIs who wish to strengthen their work” in these areas and to encourage those that have not yet moved in that direction. The MDGs and Human Development Reports set benchmarks and targets for human development. The MDGs in particular create links between certain ESC rights, the rights of women and children, and a host of other rights that are directly and indirectly linked to development and democratic governance. Some of the goals tackle the disadvantages that vulnerable persons experience in both social structures and institutions: more specific targets have been developed as priorities that can help NHRIs in choosing their own priority areas (SEE CHAPTER 8 FOR DETAILED DISCUSSIONS ON STRATEGIC PLANNING). NHRIs can use these targets to identify objectives and track progress. MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL KEY RELATED HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS GOAL 1: E radicate extreme poverty and hunger Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 25(1); ICESCR article 11 GOAL 2: A  chieve universal primary education Universal Declaration of Human Rights article 26(1); ICESCR articles 13 and 14; CRC article 28(1)(a); CEDAW article 10; CERD article 5(e)(v) GOAL 3: Promote gender equality and empower women Universal Declaration of Human Rights article 2; CEDAW; ICESCR article 3; CRC article 2 United Nations, “Millennium Development Goals”, online: United Nations <http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/>. 10 UN Millennium Project, “Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals”, New York: 2005, at 120. 11 87