International Accountability in the Implementation of the Right to Development and the “Wonderful Artificiality” of Law: An African Perspective

The landscape for the implementation of the right to development has undergone significant transformative shifts with the recent establishment of a new expert mechanism on the right to development by the UN Human Rights Council, and the finalisation of a draft treaty on the right to development. Yet, much more can clearly still be done to strengthen UN, state and non-state actors thinking on accountability in the implementation of the right to development, to add to the already considerable progress that has taken place. Our paper explores what can be done, focusing on the African and international context. We conclude that by reflecting on the benefits which a greater focus on accountability in UN development thinking post-2015 can bring to the table, the chances of success of the right to development is heightened.