to be incumbent on
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to be incumbent on someone
To fall to someone as a duty or task; to lie within someone's area of responsibility. The verb is usually used impersonally with 'es' and a dative object.
Es obliegt dem Gericht, über die Schuld des Angeklagten zu entscheiden.
It is incumbent on the court to decide on the defendant's guilt.
This verb is almost always used impersonally with 'es' (it). The person or institution that has the duty is in the dative, followed by an infinitive clause with 'zu' (to).
Es obliegt den Eltern, für ihre Kinder zu sorgen.
It is incumbent on the parents to care for their children.
The responsible person or institution is always in the dative with 'obliegen'. This is a fixed grammatical rule for this verb.
Dem Management obliegt die Entscheidung über neue Projekte.
The decision about new projects is incumbent on management.
'Obliegen' is a word used in administrative and formal language. You find it in contracts, laws, or official communications, but almost never in everyday colloquial speech.
Laut Vertrag obliegt es dem Mieter, die Wohnung in gutem Zustand zu halten.
According to the contract, it is incumbent on the tenant to keep the apartment in good condition.
to approach / to be due
'zukommen' and 'obliegen' can both express that something falls within a person's sphere. 'jemandem etwas zukommen' is broader: it can be about a right, a role, or something appropriate. 'jemandem obliegen' is used mainly for duties, tasks, and responsibility. It sounds very formal and often appears in texts from authorities, contracts, or rules. The confusion arises because both can be used with the dative. When it is about a duty, 'obliegen' is more precise; when it is about a right or an area of responsibility, 'zukommen' is often suitable.
Die Kontrolle der Geräte obliegt dem Hausmeister.
Checking the equipment is the caretaker's responsibility.
Die letzte Entscheidung kommt der Leitung des Projekts zu.
The final decision rests with the project management.