Right to development governance project

Reimagining African economic integration through human rights

The Right to Development (RTD) Governance Project examines how trade policy within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework can be aligned with human rights principles, particularly the right to development. This research initiative builds upon Article 22 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights to propose governance frameworks that ensure economic integration advances human-centred development across the continent.

Foundation in African human rights law

The Initiative draws its intellectual foundation from Article 22 of the African Charter, which establishes:

1. All peoples shall have the right to their economic, social and cultural development with due regard to their freedom and identity and in the equal enjoyment of the common heritage of mankind.

2. States shall have the duty, individually or collectively, to ensure the exercise of the right to development.

Unlike in other international legal contexts where the right to development remains largely aspirational, within the African Union legal ecosystem, this right is a justiciable and enforceable norm. African jurisprudence has refined its application through both substantive and procedural dimensions, establishing states as duty-bearers with obligations to ensure meaningful participation, equitable distribution of benefits, and prevention of harm to affected communities.

Research focus

The project documents the progressive disconnection between the AfCFTA's developmental origins and its current implementation approach.

Key research streams

Systemic coherence in AU legal architecture

We employ a systemic coherence analytical framework to examine how the AfCFTA relates to the broader African Union legal ecosystem. This approach goes beyond mere policy coordination to address essential questions about normative alignment between trade rules and fundamental AU principles, particularly regarding human rights and developmental priorities.

Trade provisions through a rights lens

We develop methodologies for identifying and addressing the human rights implications of technical trade provisions, including tariff schedules, rules of origin, and non-tariff barriers. This approach transforms seemingly neutral technical provisions into tools for advancing development that respect human dignity and well-being.

Developmental policy space

We analyse how implementation approaches to the AfCFTA may either constrain or enhance African states' policy space to pursue human-centred development. Our research proposes governance frameworks that maintain developmental flexibility while advancing continental integration.

Policy Implications and Applications

The Right to Development Trade Governance Initiative aims to inform the ongoing implementation and upcoming five-year review of the AfCFTA. By reconnecting the agreement to its AU legal foundations through a systemic coherence approach, we offer policymakers concrete pathways to transform what threatens to become another layer in Africa's fragmented trade landscape into a genuine vehicle for human-centred continental integration.

Our research provides:

• Governance frameworks for evaluating and implementing trade provisions against right to development standards

• Policy recommendations for aligning trade liberalisation with broader developmental objectives

• Legal and institutional approaches that enhance African agency in determining developmental pathways

• Methodologies for meaningful participation by affected communities in trade policy formation

Engagement with stakeholders

The initiative engages directly with:

• AfCFTA negotiators and implementers

• African Union institutions and specialised agencies

• National policymakers and trade ministries

• Civil society organisations and human rights advocates

• Academic and research communities

Through these engagements, we bridge the gap between technical trade discussions and human rights advocacy, creating space for governance approaches that realign African economic integration with its original purpose: advancing collective self-reliance and economic emancipation for the benefit of African peoples.