Achieving sustainable development and indigenous rights in Africa : tensions and prospects

Abstract

The key research question explored in this study is: can a state attain its national economic development objectives and at the same time advance the rights of indigenous groups? Examines the tensions and prospects of the coexistence of both the rights of indigenous peoples in Africa and sustainable development with reference to selected case studies and approaches adopted by World Bank (WB) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).The broad objectives of the study are: (a) To examine the link between indigenous peoples’ rights and sustainable development, (b) To explore the manner in which the international legal framework and African human rights system responds to the problem of indigenous in development, (c) To analyse key case studies of indigenous rights and development in Kenya, Botswana, and South Africa and explore emerging approaches by the WB and UNDP, (d) To make proposals on mechanisms for mediating indigenous peoples’ rights and national development aspirations.