The Donor’s Dilemma: International Aid and Human Rights Violations

Abstract

Donor governments face a dilemma when providing development aid to states that violate human rights. While aid may contribute to positive development outcomes, it may also contribute to rights violations committed by these regimes. This article provides a conceptual framework for donors to address this dilemma in a normatively justified way. Drawing on recent methodological advancements in normative political theory, it develops a distinctively political framework of dilemmas, suggesting three models: complicity, double effect and dirty hands. It considers this framework in the context of development aid, discussing the relevant considerations for donors in different cases. The article demonstrates that an approach to development assistance that acknowledges political realities does not have to be normatively silent.

Being realistic and demanding the impossible

“…Suffice it to say that, even if critics on the left are correct that the most radical options are ruled out to practice‐dependent theorists, there are plenty of transformative proposals informed by that approach. Many are not realist, but some adopt realist methodological commitments (e.g., Beetz, ; Dasandi & Erez, ; Jubb, ).…”

Costly Signals?

“…Studies of foreign aid outcomes examine its effects on development, human rights, democracy, conflict, and a variety of other matters (see, for example, Apodaca 2017; Dasandi and Erez 2017;Findley 2018;Girod 2018;Yiew and Lau 2018). With respect to democracy in particular, most analyses conclude that general foreign aid does not promote democracy (e.g., Knack 2004), but more targeted and focused democracy aid is another matter.…”

“…3 In the arena of human rights and democracy, for example, granting, withholding, delaying, or reducing general foreign aid is not often related to human rights improvements and, at times, just the opposite (e.g., Burnside and Dollar 2000;Alesina and Dollar 2000;Nielsen 2013;Schraeder, Hook and Taylor 1998). According to Dasandi and Erez (2017), broad foreign aid may contribute to economic development, but often may result in human rights violations by the recipient regime as well. Similarly, Regan (1995) found no effect for assistance on recipient human rights records across the Carter and Reagan administrations.…”

“…In the area of human rights, some studies suggest that senders of sanctions may even contribute to more harmful human rights behavior by the target regime (e.g., Peksen 2009). The struggle to promote human rights via these sanctions and the unintended consequences that may result from actions to do so further suggest that donor decisions -such as democracy aid shocks -may well result in unintended outcomes that harm important donor objectives (see also Dasandi and Erez 2017). Ultimately, this suggests that sudden reductions in aid that are intended to change regime behavior may actually cause a worsening in human rights.…”

Oceans without History? Marine Cultural Heritage and the Sustainable Development Agenda

“…A significant proportion of the estimated US $23 billion funding for the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor project (of which the Lamu port development is a part) comes from overseas aid. This is significant given the ethical obligations of aid-funded projects and, in particular, the responsibility of donor states not to violate human rights [67]. As access to cultural heritage is considered a human right (Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights), it follows that cultural heritage should be considered when projects are funded and when they are curried out.…”