ABSTRACT The Guiding Principles on Human Rights Impact Assessments of Economic Reforms envision a policymaking process based on sound empirical evidence, so that the proportionality and legitimacy of reforms can be ‘properly’ assessed. Implicit in this vision is that methodological tools from economics should be drawn on, and adapted, to project or assess human rights impact. This article argues that biases inherent to these tools must be fully understood and addressed in order to meaningfully assess the human rights impacts of economic policy choices. First, it reviews relevant literature on human rights impact assessment, to give context to some of the methodological issues raised in the Guiding Principles. It then interrogates the claim that impact assessments can advance evidence-based policymaking, unpacking this idea with reference to a frame for advancing a more ‘politically informed’ approach to understanding evidentiary bias. Second, it explores bias in neoclassical economics. It does this by unpacking dominant styles of reasoning and policy devices, concluding that meaningful assessment of rights realisation does not easily fit within this cognitive infrastructure. Finally, it outlines a number of strategies that would help advocates of human rights impact assessments to better navigate the politics of evidence and contest economic orthodoxies.

中文翻译：

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人权影响评估和经济决策中的证据政治

摘要 《经济改革人权影响评估指导原则》设想了一个基于可靠经验证据的决策过程，以便可以“正确”评估改革的相称性和合法性。这一愿景隐含着经济学的方法论工具应该被借鉴和调整，以预测或评估人权影响。本文认为，必须充分理解和解决这些工具固有的偏见，才能有意义地评估经济政策选择对人权的影响。首先，它回顾了有关人权影响评估的相关文献，为《指导原则》中提出的一些方法论问题提供背景。然后它质疑影响评估可以促进基于证据的决策的说法，参考一个框架来解开这个想法，以推进一种更“政治上知情”的方法来理解证据偏见。其次，它探讨了新古典经济学中的偏见。它通过解开主导风格的推理和政策手段来做到这一点，得出结论，对权利实现的有意义的评估不容易适应这种认知基础设施。最后，它概述了一些有助于人权影响评估倡导者更好地驾驭证据政治和对抗经济正统观念的策略。得出的结论是，对权利实现的有意义的评估并不容易适应这种认知基础设施。最后，它概述了一些有助于人权影响评估倡导者更好地驾驭证据政治和对抗经济正统观念的策略。得出的结论是，对权利实现的有意义的评估并不容易适应这种认知基础设施。最后，它概述了一些有助于人权影响评估倡导者更好地驾驭证据政治和对抗经济正统观念的策略。