The origin, institutionalisation and evolution of international development co - operation are related to the history of the United Nations. The UN Charter contains numerous provisions concerning social and economic rights. Within the 70 years of UN’s existence, they were subject to various interpretations, allowing the organisation to adjust to the needs of states and of the international environment. The approach to development was noticeably changing, as reflected in the subsequent four Decades, starting with development perceived in economic terms, through social and economic development, followed by liberal orthodoxy, which was then replaced by the concept of sustainable development expressed in the Millennium Development Goals and then the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. At the same time, the right to development was taking shape; it was formulated and adopted in 1986 by the UN General Assembly and subsequently confirmed and commonly accepted in the concluding documents of the World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna in 1993 as ‘universal and inalienable right and an integral part of fundamental human rights’. This event started the process of institutionalisation of this right, in particular the development of instruments used to implement it. The development and consolidation of the right to development influenced the adoption and form of the Millennium Goals. On the other hand, the implementation of the last of the millennium and post-millennium goals concerning international cooperation and the obligation of development assistance is considered the prerequisite for the realisation of all the millennium goals.