The Role of International Law

concepts all the way down to development practitioners have always seemed to be almost insurmountable. Two main phases can be distinguished in this respect. Prior to CHR resolution 1989/46 of 6 March 1989 the UN efforts to address the RTD were of an exploratory nature and could hardly stimulate genuine negotiations. It was a phase of contradictory claims and general opposing assertions. Successive RTD agendas were characterized by their too wide scope which in fact did not allow the debates to be focused on specifi c