The right to self-determination has been a driving force in international law and politics through much of the post World War II period. In the 1970s it was joined by a number of other human rights attributed to peoples rather than to individuals, including rights to development, peace, a clean environment, and humanitarian assistance.

These so-called "third generation solidarity rights" have attracted considerable attention, especially from developing country governments, activists and scholars. In this volume, a group of leading experts examines the current status of the various rights and reflects upon their likely significance in the twenty-first century.