The focus on resource mobilisation is particularly timely given the international community’s
renewed emphasis on this question, as reaffirmed in the 2030 Agenda, adopted in 2015 by 193
countries.5 With its 17 SDGs, the 2030 Agenda covers a comprehensive set of issues across sustainable
development’s three dimensions: economic, social and environmental. The 2030 Agenda is explicitly
anchored in human rights norms and principles, and recognises that a rights-based approach should
underpin all poverty reduction efforts (2030 Agenda, paragraphs 18–20).
In particular, SDG 17, on the ‘means of implementation and global partnership for sustainable
development’, calls on all stakeholders to ‘strengthen domestic resource mobilisation, including
through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and
other revenue collection’ (SDG 17.1). It also calls on developed countries to fully implement their
official development assistance commitments, including the commitment to achieve a target of
0.7 per cent gross national income for official development assistance (ODA/GNI) to developing
countries and 0.15 to 0.2 per cent ODA/GNI to least-developed countries (SDG 17.2), as well as
mobilise additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources (SDG 17.3).
Additionally, SDG 16, on ‘peace and justice’ is also relevant for resource mobilisation. Among other
issues, it calls on all stakeholders to ‘significantly reduce illicit financial flows’ by 2030 (SDG 16.4),
and to ‘substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms’ (SDG 16.5).
1.2 Scope, limitations and clarification
This study draws out the content underlying the obligation to mobilise resources by making reference
to the interpretations that special procedures and treaty bodies provide.6
Special procedures and treaty bodies’ legal bearing
The UNHRC is the key UN intergovernmental body responsible for human rights. Its main functions
are strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and addressing
situations of human rights violations.7 The council has several mechanisms and procedures for
its work, among them, undertaking Universal Periodic Reviews (UPRs) and working with special
procedures.
The UPR is a peer-review mechanism by which states assess the human rights situations in all UN
Member States. The special procedures are human rights monitoring mechanisms entrusted
5
UNGA, ‘Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ (25 September 2015) UN Doc A/
RES/70/1 (the ‘2030 Agenda’).
6
The Statute of the International Court of Justice specifies in Art 38(1)(d) that judicial decisions and the teachings ‘of the
most highly qualified publicists’ are a means for the determination of the rules of international law. Many consider UN
special procedures to be such publicists. Treaty body pronouncements have also been cited as means for determining
legal rules. See Christine Chinkin, ‘International Law – Sources’ in Daniel Moeckli et al (eds), International Human Rights
Law (2nd edn, OUP 2013).
7
UNGA resolution 60/252 from 27 March 2006.
December 2017 The Obligation to Mobilise Resources: Bridging Human Rights, Sustainable Development Goals, and Economic and Fiscal Policies
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