Professor de Feyter's influence on Law and Development Scholarship
We are happy to highlight a special contribution by Prof. Wouter Vandenhole in Volume 11 (2025) of the Journal of National Law University Delhi (JNLUD). In this piece, Wouter Vandenhole reflects on Koen De Feyter’s profound influence on law and development scholarship, offering critical insights while paying tribute to his intellectual legacy. The article stands as a testament to Koen’s enduring impact on the field and his lasting connection with JNLUD. The article can be found .
Travaux préparatoires to the UN Declaration on the Right to Development
The travaux préparatoires to the UN Declaration on the Right to Development was launched as part of one year of commemoration of Professor De Feyter's passing. Quoting the Foreword: “The idea to prepare this collection originally came from Richard Lapper, and Professor Koen De Feyter had agreed to pursue it. Unexpectedly, he passed away on 20 September 2024. This collection is in honour of his enormous contribution to the conceptualisation of the right to development, as well as his active involvement in the elaboration of a legally binding instrument.†We are very thankful to all the people involved in making this project possible! Access the collection .
Commemorative Event 2025
On 26 September, the Law and Development Research Group held an online event to commemorate Prof. De Feyter's academic and professional legacy. The event was moderated by Prof. Thalia Kruger, Spokesperson of the Law and Development Research Group, University of Antwerp, and saw interventions by Prof. Mihir Kanade, Academic Coordinator and Head of Department of International Law, University for Peace -San José, Costa Rica and Director of the UPEACE Human Rights Centre, on Koen’s work in the context of Right to Development and the travaux préparatoires to the UN Declaration on the Right to Development, Prof. George Ulrich, Academic Director, Global Campus of Human Rights - Venice, Italy, on Koen De Feyter’s intellectual legacy as seen through his publications, and Prof. Gamze Erdem Türkelli, Law and Development Research Group, on the launch of the LDRG's Law and Development Conversations and the "Collective Memories in Tribute of Koen De Feyter’s Legacy".
The event can be watched .