A forthcoming article in the Irish Yearbook of International Law  by Josh Curtis provides an excellent human rights based analysis of natural resource management in Ireland. The essay comes at a time of increased focus in Ireland on the ‘ownership’ of oil and gas reserves (see Eddie Hobbs’  Our Own Oil for example), as well as the possibility of the introduction of fracking for the extraction of shale gas. In his article, Josh argues that human rights must be taken into consideration to ensure that natural resources are managed in a way that provides benefits for all. Here is the abstract:

This paper proceeds from the premise that international human rights law provides both an important counterpoint to mainstream economic theory and a paradigmatic context that can enlighten the proper place of foreign direct investment (FDI) in national development. The people’s rights to self-determination and permanent sovereignty over their natural resources…