Sustainable Development, International Law, and a Turn to African Legal Cosmologies

This talk by Godwin Dzah focused on his pioneering book which analyzes and reimagines the concept of sustainable development in international law from a non-Western legal perspective. Built upon the intersection of law, politics, and history in the context of Africa, its peoples and their experiences, customary law and other legal cosmologies, this ground-breaking study applies a critical legal analysis to Africa’s interaction with conceptualising and operationalising sustainable development. It proposes a turn to non-Western legal normativity as the foundational principle for reimagining sustainable development in international law. It highlights eco-legal philosophies and principles in remaking sustainable development, where ecological integrity assumes a central focus in the reimagined conceptualization and operationalization of sustainable development. While this original book highlights Africa as its analytical pivot, its arguments and proposals are useful beyond Africa. Godwin Eli Kwadzo Dzah illuminates our current thinking on sustainable development in international law by connecting global discourses on nature, the environment, rights and development.

In person and online. Watch the recording here.

  • Centre for Law and the Environment
  • General Public
  • All Students
  • Alumni
  • Continuing Professional Development
  • Faculty
  • Graduate Students
  • JD
  • Staff
  • Research Talks
Info for:
Peter A. Allard School of Law UBC Crest The official logo of the University of British Columbia. Urgent Message An exclamation mark in a speech bubble. Arrow An arrow indicating direction. Caret A month-view page from a calendar. Caret An arrowhead indicating direction. Contact A page from a rolodex. Facebook The logo for the Facebook social media service. Information The letter 'i' in a circle. Instagram The logo for the Instagram social media service. Instagram An arrow exiting a rectangle. Linkedin The logo for the LinkedIn social media service. Mail An envelope. Minus A minus sign. Telephone An antique telephone. Play A media play button. Plus A plus symbol indicating more or the ability to add. Rss The logo for the Reddit social media service. Rss A symbol with radiating bars indicating an RSS feed. Search A magnifying glass. Twitter The logo for the Twitter social media service. Youtube The logo for the YouTube video sharing service.