International instruments have set up not only norms and procedures for monitoring compliance, but also dialogue with states accused of violation, as well as providing advice and technical assistance to national human rights efforts. These achievements will gather dust on shelves if states do not ratify the international instruments and make them part of their daily practice. The Democratic Process Democracy and human rights are inter-linked with economic and social development. The latter is a complex process involving various actors and agencies. It requires an open, transparent and accountable government in which people are consulted and involved in the decision-making process as agents of development and beneficiaries of the process.
Participation helps guarantee the success of policies and also minimizes conflicts.
Participation requires a level of education and information, otherwise it will remain a preserve of intellectuals and policy think-tanks. In Africa the transition to democracy is taking place amid growing disparity in wealth and resources between Africa and developed industrialized nations. This disparity has been made worse by the volatility of world markets and the impending global recession, the increase in political violence and the large influx of refugees, the increase in the level of poverty and unemployment, environmental degradation, the AIDS epidemic, and the collapse of basic social service delivery systems such as education, health, and clean water supply. Given this difficult environment, the process of democratic elections may not necessarily guarantee stability of the government. This exclusion has resulted in assertions of cultural and ethnic identity, often in a manner inconsistent with the tenets of the constitution and human rights.