Sustainable Development Goals

Some of the core objectives of FfD4 are enabling a renewed global financing framework that is underpinned by a commitment to multilateralism and collective action and aligned with national priorities. The African context is especially disadvantaged regarding barriers to meeting these objectives because the political elite, who set the said national priorities and spearhead ‘collective action’, is at the forefront of perpetuating illicit financial flows. The Pandora papers and similar exposés have revealed that African leaders are often at the forefront of illicitly hiding money abroad and moving it around illegally. This creates a paradox, as the very individuals responsible for driving meaningful progress in addressing illicit financial flows are frequently the biggest impediments to such efforts. Peter Ekeh’s concept of the ‘two publics’ provides a compelling theoretical framework for understanding this dynamic.

Accordingly, this article aims to situate the regulatory challenges that emanate from this divide within the international human rights standards that inform the use and development of emerging digital technologies. Given the necessity for brevity, particular focus will be afforded to two proposals set out in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Elements Paper for the outcome document of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). Namely, (1) technology transfer and (2) the promotion of equitable access to artificial intelligence (AI), including the development of a regulatory ecosystem that promotes safe, secure, and trustworthy AI systems. The analysis will also briefly address the Zero Draft Outcome Document for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (Zero Draft FfD4) because it acknowledges the transformative potential of technology in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Elements Paper and the Zero Draft present an opportunity for meaningful debt governance reforms, yet their reaffirmation of the IMF’s central role perpetuates the marginalisation of Africa in financial decision-making. This blog has made calls for a transformative approach that decouples debt governance from the Bretton Woods institutions and centres it within the United Nations. A truly inclusive and equitable debt architecture requires decentering the IMF, establishing an independent Global Debt Authority hosted within the UN, and reforming debt sustainability assessments to reflect the needs and priorities of Africa. Without these changes, African debt-dependent economies will continue to face unjust financial constraints, limiting their capacity to achieve sustainable development goals.

This essay will harmonize perspectives on responsible sovereign borrowing, re-emphasising the importance of shared responsibilities. It will commence by briefly examining the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Principles on Promoting Responsible Sovereign Lending and Borrowing (“the UNCTAD Principles”) and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (“the Agenda”). Additionally, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) proposals on sustainable and responsible borrowing and lending and debt crisis prevention will be appraised. This analysis will consider the applicability of these principles within the specific context of African countries, considering economic, political, and social realities.

This symposium aims to provide a platform for African voices to engage with and critique these foundational proposals. Bringing together perspectives from undergraduate and postgraduate students and early career researchers, the symposium reflects the intellectual dynamism of African youth contributing to global financing debates. These contributions underscore the necessity of ensuring Africa’s priorities and perspectives are central to the FfD4 agenda.

International law applies to the interchanging relationships and rules between states, including the establishment of norms and standards which govern their activities. This changing landscape of international law is recognised in one of the introductory paragraphs of this book: ‘international law possess an inherent transformative power to renew and remake itself if we are committed to reimagining the discipline and its fundamental characteristics, including the concept of sustainable development’ (pg 2). Sustainable development (SD) has been an integral part of international law discourse before the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE) and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). Hence, this book focuses on the ahistoricism and influence of international law on the environment and sustainable development in African legal systems through a Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL) lens.

Dr. Godwin Dzah’s thought-provoking book investigates the actual and potential contributions of Africa and its peoples, including through their rich worldviews, to the making and doing of international law, treating sustainable development as a microcosm. At its core is a vision to deploy Africa’s Indigenous worldviews to reimagine sustainable development, advance thinking on how it should be applied in international law going forward.

We are particularly interested in innovative academic approaches that address these themes within the African context. We welcome proposals from all approaches, including critical, doctrinal, analytical, conceptual, reflexive, interdisciplinary, post-critical and speculative traditions of law, that enable a serious scholarly reflection on private international law and sustainable development. Contributions will start filling a significant gap in the literature and promote a deeper understanding the relationships, the impact and the potential of private international law in sustainable development in Africa.

As part of the preparatory activities for the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), to be held in Sevilla, Spain, from 30 June to 3 July 2025, we invite think tanks, universities, research networks and other relevant academic stakeholders to submit proposals for panels to be presented during an Academic Day on Monday 2 December 2024 at UN Headquarters in New York.

This webinar explores the critical issue of illicit financial flows (IFFs) and their impact on poverty and vulnerability. IFFs significantly undermine efforts towards sustainable development by diverting resources away from public services and infrastructure, exacerbating economic inequality, and perpetuating cycles of poverty. Expert speakers from diverse fields, including academia, policy-making space, and private practice, will explore the mechanisms through which IFFs operate and their detrimental effects on economic stability and social equity. A webinar presented by the IBA Poverty and Social Development Committee, supported by the IBA Asset Recovery Committee and the IBA African Regional Forum. Supported by Afronomicslaw, and Schulich School of Law of Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia