This doctrine was first articulated by Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere in a 1979 speech to the United Nations General Assembly. Nyerere argued that the newly independent states of Africa and Asia had not been parties to the international treaties and agreements that were negotiated and signed by the colonial powers, and that they should not be bound by those agreements simply because they had inherited the territory of the former colonial states.
The Nyerere doctrine has been controversial since it was first proposed. Some scholars argue that it violates the principle of pacta sunt servanda (treaties must be kept), which is a fundamental principle of international law. Others argue that the doctrine is a necessary corollary to the principle of self-determination, which states that all peoples have the right to determine their own political status and to freely pursue their economic, social, and cultural development.
Despite the controversy, the Nyerere doctrine has been influential in international law. It has been cited by a number of international tribunals, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and it has been used to justify the refusal of some newly independent states to honor the international obligations of the former colonial states.