The Law and Development Research Group is happy to announce the 2026 Koen De Feyter lecture, titled 'From conflicts to a peace economy: Role of the right to development', which will be given by UN Special Rapporteur on the right to development, Professor Surya Deva.
The lecture will take place on Thursday, the 10th of September 2026, at 14:00 - 15:30 in room R.218 and online (hybrid) of the University of Antwerp Stadscampus.
Registration is mandatory and can be done here.
Abstract
The Uppsala Conflict Data Program recorded the highest number of state-based conflicts in 2025 since the Second World War (65 conflicts across 35 countries). This is so despite the world military expenditure rising to about USD2.9 trillion in 2025. What explains this? Who is benefitting from these conflicts? How to achieve national security without sacrificing the realisation of human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals?
Drawing on his 2026 report, “Peace for Development”, to the UN General Assembly, Deva in this talk will argue why states and companies should move away from funding war economies. As the world community commemorates the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development, he will elaborate on the role of the right to development – especially aspects such as ending occupation, disarmament, international cooperation and participation – in a course correction towards building a peace economy.
Bio
Professor Surya Deva is the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to development. He is also a Professor at the Macquarie Law School and Director of the Environmental Law Research Centre and the B&HR Access to Justice Lab at Macquarie University. Deva is an internationally recognised scholar in the field of business and human rights. He served on the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights (2016-22) and was one of the founding Editors-in-Chief of the Business and Human Rights Journal. He also researches in the areas of comparative constitutional law, international human rights law, sustainable development, climate change and gender equality. Two of his UN reports were cited by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in its advisory opinion on climate emergency and human rights.