The right to development under the constitution of the federal democratic republic of Ethiopia: some reflections”

Abstract

At the world conference on human rights held in Vienna in 1993, members of the UN General Assembly unanimously agreed that the Right to Development (RTD) is an inalienable human right. Nonetheless, this consensus has not culminated in translating the nature of the right in to a binding human right entitlement. In Ethiopia, the RTD is a constitutionally guaranteed right. Under Art.43 of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE Constitution), it is provided that Peoples of Ethiopia as a whole, and each National, Nationality and People in Ethiopia in particular have the right to improved living standards and to sustainable development. However, the constitution is far from clarity in terms of setting out the content and scope of the right. The manner in which the right is enshrined also raises issues as to the modalities of its enforcement.