This paper seeks to unravel some of the tangled threads of contemporary discourse about rights-based programming. Where is today’s rights-based discourse coming from? Why rights and why now? What are the differences between versions and emphases articulated by different international development actors? What are their shortcomings, and what do these imply for the practice and politics of development? Reflecting on these questions, the authors explore some of the implications of the range of different ways of relating human rights to development.
