Balancing Competing Obligations: Sovereign Debt, the African Human Rights System, and the Pursuit of a Rights-Based Approach to African Debt

Africa's sovereign debt crisis is exacerbating human rights vulnerabilities, yet the African human rights systems and institutions have remained largely absent from debt governance debates. While regional human rights systems do not explicitly address sovereign debt, the adverse human rights impact of unsustainable debt burdens demands their urgent attention. In this article, we examine how the African human rights system can more effectively respond to debt-related human rights issues. In this respect, we also discuss the potential of the Debt of Vulnerable Economies (DOVE) Principles to provide a conceptual framework for providing an operationally feasible link between debt and human rights. By situating sovereign debt within the African human rights framework, we advocate for a more integrated approach between economic governance and human rights. We also highlight the relevance of the African regional human rights systems and the role it should play in dealing with African sovereign debt restructurings.