The course introduces students to the concepts of human rights and development, as well as key issues, debates and controversies surrounding their interrelatedness in the realization of development outcomes. The course presents the historical context within which human rights have evolved; and also introduces to students the major instruments, international, regional and domestic, designed to protect and promote human rights. The course further presents the understanding of human rights from an African perspective, and also examines the political, legal and institutional framework necessary to make human rights effective in practice. It then examines the political, social and economic constraints that stand in the way to the full realisation of human rights at the global, regional, continental and national levels. Finally, the course presents a strong case for the need of human rights in the development processes.