Right to Development and Global Governance: Old and New Challenges Twenty-Five Years On

Abstract

"Right to Development" (RTD) called for a fundamental transformation of global governance at its origin. This transformation would enable RTD's full realization by overcoming international barriers to greater influence for the voices of the developing countries in global economic and political decision-making and to more solidarity. Twenty-five years later, elements of that agenda have in fact been achieved, enabling greater voice and influence for some developing countries, while their very success has raised new challenges to global governance of the future. This article analyzes key challenges that arise to the future of the right to development due to the "rise of the rest" and concludes that a fundamental rethinking of RTD and alternative structural changes in global governance are needed to realize the moral and political ideals of the right to development.