The principle of non-discrimination requires government policy to support full and equal access to productive and economic resources for all individuals, including equal rights to ownership of land and other property and to inheritance, as well as access to credit and appropriate technology for women and men. In relation to any particularly vulnerable group, policy must be designed so as to tackle the underlying reasons for their vulnerability, as well as to support the empowerment of those affected, providing them with the tools to claim their rights.

  The interdependence between the right to food and rights to water, health care, work, and housing, among others, makes it vitally important that a rights-based approach is integrated in a consistent manner into a country's development strategy as a whole. The second generation of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) is the most important determinant of development strategies in many countries.

  Human rights principles call for the informed participation of rights-holders in policy formulation. This, together with the democratic representativeness of implementing organizations, also leads to better prioritization and targeting of activities, increases state accountability, and in the end contributes to reducing poverty.