Fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS) often face intersecting challenges related to inequality, exclusion, and barriers to claiming human rights. In these contexts, government institutions may have constrained capacities, accountability, or legitimacy, and the relationship between duty bearers and rights holders are frequently weak. These conditions can undermine trust, limit effective service delivery, and heighten the risk of instability and conflict. Strengthening rights-based governance (RBG) in fragile and conflict-affected settings can help address these challenges by supporting inclusive, accountable, and responsive institutions, with particular attention to those most at risk of being left behind. 

This practice note offers practical guidance for identifying priorities, designing strategies and programmes, and adapting ways of working to advance rights-based governance through a human rights-based approach (HRBA) to governance programming, leveraging the UNDP HRBA toolkit. Drawing on UNDP case studies from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Syria, and Ukraine, it provides practical insights and tools for practitioners. The note was developed in partnership between UNDP and the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) Unit for Democracy and Governance.