Paper long abstract:

Almost half a century since self-determination was attained, sub-Saharan Africa remains the global epicentre of economic underdevelopment, the current celebration of its growth merely reminiscent of earlier false dawns. It therefore becomes safe to assert that its longsuffering people are likely to remain mired in economic misery for some time to come.

Scholarly attention on the region has tended to focus only on the political and/or economic ramifications of its underdevelopment, with the legal dimension attracting minimal interest. Yet, it was merely two decades after decolonization that the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Right to Development, explicitly recognizing economic development as a human right. To be sure, the Declaration has not yet been accepted as law. Nevertheless, this short paper aims to highlight its usefulness as an invaluable instrument for human rights advocacy, particularly in regard to sub-Saharan Africa.