The mainstreaming of human rights in developmentcooperation is a legal and political obligation for allMember States of the European Union (EU), including theNew Member States. This policy paper argues that, ratherthan being an additional burden, human rightsmainstreaming through the application of the humanrights-based approach (HRBA) offers practical solutions forthe New Member States to overcome some of the specificchallenges they face as relatively new donors of OfficialDevelopment Assistance (ODA), such as limited humanand financial resources and limited public awareness on aid.Moreover, it shows that the specific context for ODA in theNew Member States provides excellent opportunities for theintegration of the HRBA and would allow these states tocapitalize on their particular expertise and their ‘addedvalue’ as donors while being in line with international andEU obligations.