Is conditionality dead?

1
Is conditionality dead?

• Ownership, good governance and new aspects of
  conditionality
• Priyanthi Fernando
• Centre for Poverty Analysis, Colombo
• ODI Workshop
• Southern Voices for Change in the Aid System
• November 2005, London

2
Conditionality is NOT dead!

• Framework within which the aid system operates
  and conditionality is articulated
• Importance of conditionality in expanding (rather
  than constricting) democratic space
• Importance of good governance in donor
  countries and organisations

3
Framework of Aid

• Articulated in the North
• Serves the interests of donor countries
• Southern governments buy in
• Choices limited
• Safeguarding rights of citizens difficult

must help deprive terrorists of popular
support and addressing the conditions that
terrorist leaders feed on and exploit OECD 2003
policy statement on development cooperation
4
Characteristics of the Framework

• Can-opener approach
• System of knowledge production
• blue print approach specific interventions
  for specific problems irrespective of context
• scientific truths or measures depoliticising
  poverty (e.g. MDGs, poverty indicators)
• Institutionalising the development discourse
  binding actors to certain behaviours and
  rationalities

poverty, illiteracy and hunger became the basis
of an industry for planners, experts and civil
servants.. since the industry never stops
producing goods in the form of new projects and
reports, but actually achieves its targets only
rarely, it justifies its own continued existence
(Arturo Escobar)
5
Expanding democratic space

• Narrowness of can-opener approach
• Marginalises local expertise, needs and
  priorities
• Governments lose ownership
• Corrodes ordinary peoples control over their
  lives, their communities and their representation
  in government
• Governments more accountable to donors
• Policies easily appropriated by governing élites
• Lack of transparency of government-donor
  negotiations
• Does not ensure that governments meet their
  obligations to protect citizens rights

6
Good governance among donors

• good governance almost always focused on
  recipients
• mutual accountability focused on the aid
  relationship
• Donors must consider own good governance
• Contradictions between trade vs aid
• Flaws in IFI policies
• Corruption in international agencies
• Greater representation of developing countries in
  international aid organisations, particularly IFIs

• broadening and strengthening of participation of
  developing countries.in international
  decision-making and norm-setting
• Monterrey Consensus

7
Issues for the Forum For Aid

• Develop a southern, civil society platform for
  debate on the Aid System
• Set the agenda for the debate
• Make alliances with other southern thinkers,
  social movements and champions in the north
• Thank you!