It is with deep sadness that the Law and Development Research Network (the LDRN) mark the passing of Koen De Feyter on 20 September. Koen was a professor of international law and dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Antwerp, where he completed his doctorate. He was previously attached to the Human Rights Centre of the University of Maastricht, the Institute of Development Policy of the University of Antwerp and served as the Academic Coordinator of the European Master in Human Rights and Democratisation (Venice, Italy). He is a former Chair of Amnesty International Belgium (1998-1999).
Koen was an expert in human rights and North-South relations, socio-legal research in non-Western countries such as Bolivia, China, DRC, India, Palestine, and law and development generally. He worked with the UN Human Rights Council on the recognition of a right to development. He was a driving force in the establishment of the LDRN. Koen was also the LDRN’s informal chair until mid-September 2024. His contribution to the establishment of a global approach to law and development and an infused global justice agenda into law and development was significant. His work will continue to inspire the Network’s research and practice.
Koen’s output was substantial. His publications include World Development Law (2001), Human Rights and Social Justice in the Age of the Market (2005), Out of the Ashes: Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of Human Rights (2006, co-ed.), Economic Globalisation and Human Rights (2007, co-ed.), The Right to Development : a treaty and its discontents (2016), and the Encyclopaedia of Law and Development (2021, co-ed.) Koen was instrumental in ensuring the involvement of scholars from across the globe is the compilation of the Encyclopaedia, a work which involved many of the Network’s partners as co-editors and co-authors. This collaborative approach epitomises Koen – as a person and as a scholar. He also published numerous articles in journals such as the Loyola University of New Orleans Human Rights Review, the Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights and the Africa Legal Aid Quarterly.
The Network (the LDRN) extends its deepest condolences to Koen’s family. He was a remarkable individual and scholar who inspired and guided many across the globe. Koen’s influence will endure through his body of work and the lasting impact he made on the students, researchers, and the colleagues he engaged with throughout his career. We will miss you, Koen, and will ensure that your legacy is reflected in the Network’s work in the future.
To ensure that everyone who knew Koen has the opportunity to attend the funeral taking place this Friday, 27 September, at 15:00 CET, a livestream will be provided, which you can access via this link: https://storycatchers.live/uitvaart-koen-de-feyter/. This link may be shared with others within your network who knew Koen.
Please note that the University of Antwerp has made available a Condolences Registry that his colleagues, students and friends from all over the world could sign to be delivered to Koen’s family.