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Globalisation & Law Network seminar with Gamze Erdem Türkelli

Multistakeholder partnerships (MSPs) - collaborative efforts bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders working on common objectives - are increasingly in the spotlight. While they perform crucial functions in international law governance, the consequences of their growing authority for effective human rights protection remain uncertain. On 17 April 2025, the Globalisation & Law Network had the privilege of welcoming Dr Gamze Erdem Türkelli, Associate Research Professor at the University of Antwerp, as a speaker in its research seminar series. Dr Türkelli presented her ERC-funded research project Governing Human Rights through Partnerships: Investigating the Normative and Operational Interface of International Law and Multistakeholder Governance (GENESIS). Mark Kawakami served as a discussant.

At its core, GENESIS examines and critiques the continued expansion of MSPs as a means of providing public goods that are human rights, such as food or health. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17 focuses on strengthening means of implementation and revitalising the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development. However, this trend poses complex questions for human rights responsibility and accountability. Although powerful MSPs can exert significant power over individuals, the scope of obligations imposed on non-state and non-public actors providing or participating in the provision of essential public services is not determined. The project aims to contribute to the development of effective post-SDG frameworks for sustainable development by critically assessing the interface of international law and multistakeholder governance in the realisation of human rights. During the presentation, Dr Türkelli zoomed in on the challenges of multistakeholder-based partnering in the context of the right to education, which include diffused responsibility, limited answerability and weak enforceability.

The discussion that followed Dr Türkelli’s presentation revolved around the complicated enforcement of socioeconomic and cultural rights, the role of local governments and local constitutions and the divergent approaches to defining and operationalising accountability of multistakeholder partnerships.

Curious about the current challenges of law and governance? You can register for the upcoming research seminars organised by the Globalisation & Law Network. We look forward to seeing you there!

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