Accountability has long been a bedrock principle of human rights. Yet generalized impunity for human rights violations is still the norm. Making this principle a reality in the twenty first century means shifting the accountability paradigm to include new targets and new dimensions of accountability.

 

The increasing influence of power-holders beyond the nation-state – such as multinational corporations, international financial institutions and supranational bodies such as the European Union -- call into question the relevance of a narrow focus on the accountability of state as the sole bearer of human rights obligations.
 

What challenges does the ascendance of global powers such as China and India pose interms of their accountability for human rights both at home and abroad? What threats or opportunities for human rights accountability emerge from nascent attempts to create institutions of global governance?

 

Has the “over-legalization” of human rights been a barrier to the development of inter-disciplinary approaches necessary to enforce political accountability for such complex and multi-factorial problems as violence against women, child malnutrition or climate change?