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Picture Credit: Panos Pictures Development, Democracy, and Human Rights
An important aspect of development policy is the relationship between economic growth, on the one hand, and democracy, human rights, and responsive governance on the other. While it is true that growth and democracy sometimes go together, there is no necessary connection between the two. There have been numerous instances where high levels of growth occurred under authoritarian political regimes. A key problem therefore is how to ensure that economic development policies reflect the values of everyday individuals and not those of international investors or entrenched elites.
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2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | Archived Articles
Social Watch Report 2005 - Roars and Whispers (2005)
The tenth Social Watch Report analyzes and measures nations' pledges to achieve gender equality and eradicate poverty. The 2005 edition pays special attention to the “gap between promises and action.” Based on current trends, states will not achieve the Millennium Development Goals. This publication calls for immediate action by the international community.
2007
Democracy as Economic Strategy (September 7, 2007)
Although India and China are experiencing unprecedented economic growth, both countries face high underemployment and unemployment, as well as problems of inequality. In China, this has resulted in the migration of the rural poor to the urban centers in the hope of finding better opportunities. The author argues that India is able to mitigate this trend because of its well-developed democracy. The voices of the poor are heard and thus the middle classes cannot reject redistribution of resources to the poor, in China this does not happen. The author concludes that this democracy is an important prerequisite for sustainable economic development. (Policy Innovations)Foreign Investors Gone Wild (May 7, 2007)
International financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund promote foreign investment in poor countries at all costs – often to the detriment of democracy, the environment, and basic human rights. Although several governments have announced plans to withdraw from the World Bank, Foreign Policy In Focus argues that this move will not be enough to release these countries from the “web of rules” designed to protect foreign investors. The author calls for North and South cooperation to create a more just and equitable international investment system.2006
Oil, Cash and Corruption (November 5, 2006)
The forthcoming corruption trial of US businessman James H. Giffen sheds light upon the massive bribes received by Kazakh President Nursultan A. Nazarbayev, who has “amassed a fortune at the expense of an impoverished citizenry.” Giffen has allegedly paid Nazarbayev US$78 billion “to buy access and influence in Kazakhstan for oil giants like Exxon Mobil, BP […] and […] Conoco-Phillips.” This New York Times piece indicates that US government officials approved of Giffen’s bribery. Moreover, the author highlights the obvious US hypocrisy of claiming to promote good governance and democracy across the world, while graciously receiving the kleptocratic Kazakh leader in September 2006.The Peril of Beijing’s Africa Strategy (November 1, 2006)
With Chinese trade and foreign direct investment in Africa “skyrocketing” in 2006, China has become a major player in Africa's economic development, and a widely cited “ideal development model” among African leaders. Many African leaders frustrated by Western policy conditionality have welcomed China’s “strictly business” involvement in their countries. But the Chinese lack of concern for good governance and social responsibility produces a “backlash in several African countries.” This International Herald Tribune article argues that whether China signs on to the principles of transparency and good governance “will be critical for the continent’s long term development and stability.”Development Requires Local Empowerment (September 27, 2006)
The 2006 “Least Developed Countries Report” found that although the world’s poorest countries have enjoyed the highest growth rates in two decades, human well-being in these mainly African countries has not improved. The author of this Foreign Policy In Focus piece argues that the lack of rural communities’ participation in governing their natural resources largely accounts for that imbalance. He warns that initiatives such as the UN Millennium Development Project, the US Millennium Challenge and Oxfam International’s “Trade not Aid” campaign will not promote development unless they focus on creating accountable countryside democratic institutions.Defining the Right to Food in an Era of Globalization: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food (March 2006)
Expressing grave concern with the continuing increase in global hunger and the current food crisis in Africa, this report insists the time has come to view hunger and famine “as a violation of the human right to food.” While national governments have the primary obligation to fulfill their citizens’ right to food, in an era where domestic actions affect people in other countries, governments must assume obligations beyond their own borders. Being more powerful than individual states, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization, as well as large transnational corporations must also take on due responsibility to fulfill this human right. (United Nations)2005
The Global Crisis of Legitimacy of Liberal Democracy (October 2005)
In the beginning of the 1990s, Samuel Huntington argued that the “third wave of democratization” would free the world from dictators, and spread the model of Anglo-American democracy worldwide. However, history took another path. Analyzing the recent democratic trends in countries like the Philippines, Brazil and Argentina, this article warns that “capitalism and democratic deepening are no longer compatible.” (Focus on the Global South)World Leaders Praise Solidarity and Its Peaceful Road to Democracy (September 1, 2005)
Politicians and citizens of Gdansk celebrated the 25th anniversary of Solidarity, recalling its function in freeing Poland from communism and leading to the unification of Europe. However, the crowd expressed mixed feelings. One participant pointed out that the Polish, once “slaves of Moscow,” are now “slaves of Washington and Brussels.” In his speech at the event, former President of Poland and Solidarity leader Lech Walesa said, “freedom came, but it is still hard to get bread.” (Independent)Why Turn a Blind Eye to Tyranny? (July 4, 2005)
Debt relief and increased aid cannot alone alleviate poverty in Africa, according to this International Herald Tribune editorial. Rather than oversimplifying the debate on aid to Africa, world leaders would do well to attack the root causes of poverty, such as corruption and human rights violations, if they are committed to “making poverty history.” Aid to Africa must be accompanied by “an equally serious effort to address human rights violations,” or world leaders will risk strengthening and funding the abusive governments responsible for so much of the continent’s misery.
2004
Democracy's Crisis of Legitimacy in Latin America (July 2004)
A recent UNDP report finds that "regional democracy is in trouble" throughout Latin America. This North American Congress on Latin America article supports many of the claims in that report, but also draws attention to little mentioned root causes of Latin American frustration with democracy. It highlights the failures of democratic institutions and neoliberal policies to curb increasing poverty and social unrest.Latin America Is Growing Impatient With Democracy (June 24, 2004)
Growing public sentiment that "Rights are not for the poor. They are for the rich, by the rich," threatens democracy throughout Latin America. Despite the campaign promises of democratically elected officials, they have made little progress on development initiatives. People are looking for new solutions, and in doing so, are ousting current leaders and turning back to the idea of dictatorship. (New York Times)UN: Latin American Democracy in Trouble (April 21, 2004)
Severe poverty and income inequalities cause Latin American citizens to loose faith in democracy, argues a UN report on the region’s political health. The report illustrates that in 2002, 56.3 percent of Latin Americans believed that economic development was more important than democracy and 54.7 percent stated that they would support an authoritarian government if it resolved their problems. (Associated Press)South Africa: The Frustrating Decade of Freedom (April 7, 2004)
Ten years ago, democracy replaced South Africa’s racist apartheid system. However, this article argues that large inequalities and “deep poverty” remain prevalent throughout the country. Left sectarian factions accuse President Mbeki of abandoning the working class, and criticize the government for implementing neoliberal policies. (Green Left Weekly)A Flawed Blueprint: The Covert Politicization of Development Economics (March 22, 2004)
Despite years of studies “we still do not know which political institutions matter for economic development”, argues the political scientist Adam Przeworski. He examines the empirical links between democracy and development and criticizes international bodies and US government agencies, which today create “ill-founded and hastily offered” development “blueprints” for poor countries. (Harvard International Review)Humanitarian Situation Remains Precarious (February 26, 2004)
The future of South Africa seems bleak. It faces a deadly combination of serious food insecurity, unsafe water, weakened social services, a poor governance capacity, erratic weather patterns and HIV/AIDS. (Integrated Regional Information Network)2003
As Inequalities Grow, South Africa’s Poor Question the Power of the Ballot (November 2003)
Ten years after the introduction of democracy, South Africa still ranks among the most unequal societies in the world. The government’s efforts to accelerate the redistribution of wealth have created a black business class, but failed to lift the country’s poor out of poverty. Many poor blacks already lost their faith in the power of the ballot to deliver better standards of living. (Panos)Africans Should Strive for “Full Freedom” (August 26, 2003)
Although Africans fought decades for national independence, they still cannot enjoy real freedom. Forty percent of the people in southern Africa live in extreme poverty, and “political freedom in poverty is only half freedom,” says this article. (Xinhua)Poverty and Political Freedom (August 12, 2003)
According to a widespread worldview, freedom means little to those who cannot fulfill their basic needs. However, this article highlights the danger of this reasoning, as corrupt elites can easily use it to justify an authoritarian use of power. (openDemocracy)Business and Trade Cannot Take Primacy over Labor and Human Rights (June 25, 2003)
NGO Washington Office on Africa critically evaluates the US-Africa trade policy, “Africa Growth and Opportunity Act," signed in 2000.Human Rights and Development: One Will Suffer Without the Other (January 15, 2003)
A Ugandan graduate student urges the government of Uganda to integrate human rights into its economic development strategy. “Sustainable development is impossible without human rights, and vice versa,” he writes. (New Vision (Kampala))Chaos and Constitution (January/February, 2003)
President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela rose to power on a pro-poor, pro-democracy platform, drafting a constitution after taking office that extends political and property rights to Venezuela’s poorest citizens. However, his failure to promote economic growth has mobilized the upper classes in a violent effort to oust him. (Mother Jones)2002
Kazakhstan: Oil Money Threatens to Make Killing Fields (December 4, 2002)
The government of Kazakhstan is developing what will be the second largest oil field in the world, despite growing opposition from local people. To the Kazakh government, the prospect of immense oil profits outweighs the project’s enormous human and environmental risks. (The Guardian)Peasants Dig In as Dam Waters Rise (December 4, 2002)
China is forcibly relocating hundreds of thousands of people to make way for the Three Gorges hydropower dam project. Despite heavy police presence, not all villagers are willing to leave without a fight. (Christian Science Monitor)Chile: No Future Without a Past (November, 2002)
Chile emerged from three decades of extreme socio-cultural change, marked by a brutal dictatorship and a series of coups, to its current status as the economic “tiger” of Latin America. Now, vulnerable to fluctuations in the global economy, the people of Chile are reeling from their “sudden transformation from social actors to consumers.” (Le Monde Diplomatique)No Economic Growth Without Democracy, Says UN Development Chief (October 22, 2002)
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) head Mark Malloch Brown argues that economic development depends on democratic governance. The ability to manipulate elections or bully weak legislatures leaves “little incentive for those in power to forge policies that benefit citizens, and in particular, poorer sections of the population.” (OneWorld US)Protests Against Development Hit Central America (October 14, 2002)
Indigenous peoples in Mexico and Central America staged Columbus Day protests against the “Puebla-Panama” plan, which would promote energy, tourism, and infrastructure development in the region. Protesters argue that the plan will only benefit big business and further impoverish indigenous communities. (Reuters)The IFI Threat to East Timorese Economic Independence (October 8, 2002)
Dr. Tim Anderson from Aidwatch argues that international financial institutions such as the World Bank and IMF could seriously undermine East Timor’s right to self determination and development. He warns that the IFIs’ interests are more heavily aligned with corporations and the wealthy than with the people of East Timor. (East Timor Action Network)US Oil Company Unocal Liable for Human Rights Abuses in Burma (October, 2002)
Human rights lawyers have filed a lawsuit against Unocal, accusing the company of hiring Burmese troops who committed human rights abuses while building a pipeline for the company. The suit “may have a chilling effect on how multinationals operate overseas.” (Corporate Legal Times)Turkish Oil Project Raises Human Rights, Governance Concerns (September 17, 2002)
The World Bank plans to support an oil pipeline project with the help of unlimited Turkish security protection against “terrorists.” Kurdish human rights groups argue that Turkey may use the ambiguous language of terrorism to commit human rights violations. (Bretton Woods Project)Arab Human Development Report 2002
In the first report of its kind, Arab intellectuals commissioned by the United Nations report on human development, based on social, political and economic growth, in the Middle East. The study finds that the lack of primarily social and political freedoms is largely stunting the growth of Arab societies. The report covers 280 million people in the 22 Arab countries.Study Warns of Stagnation in Arab Societies (July 2, 2002)
A blunt new report by Arab intellectuals commissioned by the United Nations warns that Arab societies are being crippled by a lack of political freedom, the repression of women and an isolation from the world of ideas that stifles creativity. (New York Times)Israel Feeling the Cost of Uprising, Too (February 19, 2002)
Decline in Israeli GDP is dramatic, making peace in the region even more urgent. Whose economic collapse will put more pressure on the leadership to return to negotiations? (Haaretz Daily)Archived Articles
Links and Resources
Amnesty International's Campaign for Economic Relations and Human Rights
The World Bank SAPRI Home Page
The World Bank and a network of NGOs have agreed, through the Structural Adjustment Participatory Review Initiative, to improve the public input into structural adjustment policies.Structural Adjustment Participatory Review International Network
The home page for the network of NGOs and other civil society groups working with the World Bank through the Structural Adjustment Participatory Review Initiative.
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