The Right to Develpment Obligations for International Organisations

What is it about?

After a careful examination of the Right to Development obligations in international law, it was found out that international organisations operate based on their objectives and mandates set out in their founding documents and therefore do not have direct development responsibilities under international law like states do. However, with the evolving global dynamics, international organisations admittedly do engage in development operations which sometimes impact adversely on individuals and communities and therefore should be allocated development obligations under international law. The IMF and World Bank for example are influential in shaping and directing development pathways around the world and the global financial order

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Why is it important?

The paper addresses a critical gap in international human rights law by focusing on the right to development obligations of international organisations. Traditionally, states have been the primary duty bearers for the right to development, but this paper highlights that international organisations like the UN, World Bank, IMF, WTO and African Union wield significant influence over global development policies and actions that directly impact individuals and communities. Despite this central role in development, international organisations are not clearly bound by legally enforceable right to development obligations under current international legal frameworks. This lack of clear accountability has enabled situations where individuals and communities have adversely been affected by the policies and programs of international organisations. The paper advocates for international organisations to assume the duties to cooperate and actively promote equitable, sustainable and human rights-respecting development.

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