Despite the decades-long, ubiquitously raised concerns regarding the injurious human rights impacts of the operations of international financial institutions and their member States, still today countless voices (unsuccessfully) claim violations in these contexts. At times, individuals seem to be treated as if there is no history and past mistakes cannot be undone. While much could be changed if only there were political will to do so, the problem also lies in an insufficient investigation of what can be achieved through international law. The scope and extent of States’ human rights obligations as participants in international (financial) institutions have remained uncertain, and so too the terms of application of secondary international legal rules to these actors. In the main, the topic is challenging as it calls for legal particularity in a governance context that is idiosyncratically complex.