THE G77 AND THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Established in 1964, the G77 is the largest intergovernmental organisation representing developing countries in the United Nations. It was established to ensure a just world order and to ensure the realisation of the controversial right to development (RTD). The aim of this article is to explore the role of the G77 in fostering this realisation. To this end, it examines the platforms on which the G77 operates at the UN and beyond to explore the likelihood to lead to the achievement of the RTD. It finds that the UN Second, Third and Fourth Committees provide opportunities where the G77 can use its number to vote on various issues related to the realisation of the RTD. However, the G77 faces challenges related to the non-binding feature of the right, the constant opposition of many powerful Western countries that take important RTD decisions away from the UN, such as the World Trade Organisation, the International Monetary Fund and the G8 and the G20. To mitigate these challenges, the article calls on China's influence in these fora to claim the RTD.