The Roles of International Law in Development

Abstract Development is becoming an increasingly international endeavour, involving cooperation and collaboration between states, institutions, and people. In 2015, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to tackle issues in economic, social, and environmental spheres. However, these goals are contingent on the support of development actors and governments alike. The question then becomes how do we govern these development decisions? This book investigates how international law and development interact. The book addresses the need for a systematic grounding in international law to achieve the SDGs laid out by the UN. By anchoring decisions in substantive international law, practitioners can acknowledge that their decisions do not operate in a legal vacuum and can aid in creating an international legal accountability by following the precedents of international law. The book captures a range of perspectives on different facets of development. It provides a new vision of development as a growing and dynamic phenomenon and global imperative, which needs be consistently guided and governed international legal systems. The book is a necessary guide for practitioners in development work, which offers a novel approach to the interface of development and public international law founded on the international rule of law, international legal accountability, and international law due diligence.