Arjun Sengupta Archna Negi and Moushumi Basu (eds.). Reflections on the Right to Development.
Malik, Afia
Arjun Sengupta Arehna Negi and Moushumi Basu (eds.). Reflections on
the Right to Development. New Delhi: Sage Publications. 2005. 366 pages.
Paperback. Indian Rs 650.00.
The right to development remains one of the most debatable and
controversial concepts. Its emergence is linked to a New International
Economic Order, in the 1970s, in which, developing countries demanded
for the incorporation of their development needs. This demand slipped
off unnoticeably from the international agenda, given the strong
opposition from the developed countries. However, it re-emerged in 1986
with the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Right to Development
(RTD) and the recognition of RTD as a 'Human Right' in the
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action in 1993. An Independent
Expert on the RTD submitted reports to the UN Commission on Human Rights
between 1999 and 2003. The papers in this volume contain reflections on
and responses to the notion of RTD as articulated in these reports.
Ten Chapters in the volume are broadly arranged in three sections
on the basis of their focus. The first four chapters in Section I
reflect on the concept of RTD in its theoretical and historical aspects.
The first chapter is on the theoretical framework that links human
rights with development, of which RTD is an integral part. Chapter Two
deals with the normative content of and implementation issues relating
to RTD. In the third chapter specific theoretical aspects of the human
rights and RTD approaches are discussed. Chapter Four explains the
historical evolution of the concept of RTD.
Section II contains four empirical studies reflecting on various
aspects of the RTD concept. The first one is on the development process
in Sri Lanka viewed from the RTD perspective. The second case study
while focusing on poverty in India brings out some interesting
observations from an RTD viewpoint. The third study explores development
in Kerala via one particular element of the RTD framework, that is,
participation. The last study in this section discusses the relationship
of the existing international economic regimes and RTD.
Final two chapters in Section III focused on linkages of rights
with the 'social choice' framework.
This volume is an important contribution from the developing
countries' point of view. It will help deeper understanding of the
concept of RTD, and will be useful for those interested in development
studies and human rights.
By Afia Malik, Research Economist, Pakistan Institute of
Development Economics, Islamabad.
