Development is no Excuse for Human Rights Abuses: Framing the Responsibility of International Development Agencies

Abstract

Development projects may be harmful, most obviously in cases of ill-planned or mismanaged projects, resulting in serious and unmitigated consequences for the enjoyment of human rights. There is a strong argument that today’s international law compels international development agencies (conveying bilateral or multilateral development aid) to respect certain norms, particularly with regard to human rights protection, wherever they intervene. Reflecting a trend toward “accountability,” multilateral development banks have adopted internal rules and review mechanisms. Accountability, however, is “responsibility-lite”, stopping short of full-fledged jurisdictional guarantees. Therefore, it is time to establish institutions that would implement the responsibility of development agencies for breaches of international law, thus creating a stronger incentive for development actors to respect the rights of all stakeholders.

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“Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Montesquieu, 1689-1755.