HUMAN Rights have surged to the forefront of the debate about what will succeed the Millennium Development Goals in 2015.
As human rights and social cultural justice organised worldwide, we feel compelled to lay out some of the baseline implications of embedding human rights into the core the sustainable development agenda this time around.
At its essence, a post 2015 framework in human rights moves from a model of charity to one of justice, based on the inherent dignity of people as human rights-holders, domestic governments as primary duty bearers, and all development actors sharing common but differentiated responsibilities.
Accordingly, the post 2015 framework should be designed as a tool to empower and enable people monitor and hold their government, businesses, international institutions and other development actors accountable for their conduct as it affects people’s lives within and beyond the borders.
A sustainable development framework founded on human rights can serve as an instrument for people and countries to help unseat the structural obstacles to sustainable, inclusive and just development, and prevent conflict and stimulate implementation and enforcement of all human rights.
The post-2015 framework must  then at the very least respect and reflect pre-existing human rights, legal norms, standards and political commitments to which Government have already agreed.

Dean Mwelwa,
Zambia Asthma Association Executive Director