Although the concept of human rights has existed for centuries, it was only in 1948 when this was officially recognized and became a universally agreed manifesto. As a response to the events of World War II, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, urging countries to promote certain human, civil, economic, and social rights. Promoting these rights or tying aid programs to respecting them has become the cornerstone of many programs ever since. This article will examine how aid can help to improve human rights.
Typically, development aid refers to financial or technical assistance for the recipient nation’s political, social, or economic progress. It can be offered through a variety of instruments – grants, bilateral aid, technical assistance, or more complex programs that receive both grant and technical components.
Donor countries usually target aid to improve a certain sector of the recipient nation’s economy or social or governance domains. When financial flows are disbursed to foster changes in a sector that is directly linked to human rights, such as justice for example, the effect of that aid is obvious assuming it is efficiently used. But are there any other, indirect ways for aid to help to improve human rights?
The relationship between development aid and human rights is complex and can sometimes be philosophical. Although connecting aid to an improvement in human rights is the subject of ongoing debate, aid is essential to advancing and supporting human rights in several ways.
Promoting human rights through development aid
By addressing many facets of social, economic, and political development, development aid plays a critical part in improving human rights. Some of the ways that it can help to advance the rights of the most disadvantaged social categories of people include:
Guaranteeing secured access to basic necessities
Development aid can help to provide access to vital human necessities such as food, clean water, medical care, and education. As the right to life, liberty and security of a person is universal, it could be said that access to water, food, shelter, and security is also part of every human’s rights.
For instance, the provision of clean water and sanitary facilities, improvements to water infrastructure, and the implementation of water management strategies, particularly in places with low resources, has been made possible thanks in part to organizations such as Water.org.
The first Water Credit plan in Africa was launched by Water.org in Kenya. At the initial stage of the project, launched in 2005, over 550,000 Kenyans gained access to water and sanitation. Today, around 6.5 million people benefit from safe water and/or sanitation in their homes.
Assisting people in education and skills development
Women, children, and ethnic minorities as well as indigenous people can all benefit from development aid and be able to receive proper education and gain the necessary skills. This will allow them to better express their rights, not be excluded, take steps towards ending the cycle of poverty, and overall help their region or country as a whole.
As an example, programs such as the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) aim to improve access to schooling, especially for girls. It offers financing and resources to nations so they can improve their educational institutions, school facilities, and gender equality initiatives. Since GPE’s inception, around 160 million children – more than half of them girls – have enrolled at school in its partner nations.
In addition, health campaigns such as those for immunization, maternity, and child health as well as initiatives to fight infectious diseases are all supported by organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. In addition to saving lives, these efforts advance the right to well-being and good health.
Strengthening institutions and encouraging good government
In terms of the direct effect of aid on human rights, this can be seen through governing institutions and other organizations strengthening the protection of human rights. Thus, local and national authorities improve their juridical systems, upgrade court facilities, and invest in educating skilled and honest judges and legal experts.
International assistance can also help to launch and assist programs that encourage civic participation, support civil society organizations, and safeguard freedom of expression.
Assisting in conflict reduction and peacebuilding
Today, the world is facing numerous conflicts and violence that affect millions of people who are forced to flee their homes and move to more secure locations.
For instance, to help Egyptian institutions to accommodate the refugee population, UNHCR’s 2022 Education Program offered financing for school renovations, furniture supplies, and other essentials. UNHCR also offered grants for schooling to help with the cost of tuition, uniforms, books, and transport.
The downside of foreign aid for human rights improvement
Excessive dependence on foreign aid by governments, poor monitoring and assessment systems and a lack of openness in aid distribution and transparency can all reduce its ability to advance human rights.
Overdependence on development aid
When aid is not conceived and administered properly, its effect may be one of overdependence rather than advancement. Excessive reliance on it without developing local capacity and strengthening local communities may impede the fulfillment of human rights. Foreign assistance should strive to increase self-reliance and enable people and communities to take advantage of their rights and help shape their own development, rather than undermine their ability to self-progress.
Misuse of development aid and violation of human rights
Foreign aid is frequently used by recipient governments to preserve their hold on power and increase their authority, allowing them to silence opposition.
According to Jessica Trisko Darden, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University and Director of the Security and Foreign Policy Initiative at William & Mary’s Global Research Institute, foreign aid can sometimes increase violations of human rights. This is primarily because it is fungible – meaning that aid beneficiaries can effortlessly misuse it, particularly if the donor nation rarely monitors or controls the way the beneficiary spends it.
Final word
Foreign aid can improve human rights by addressing many aspects of development and empowering both people and communities. It can provide the opportunity for long-term change and improve the achievement of human rights around the world. At the same time, its poor management and monitoring can lead to its misuse and thus have a serious negative impact on human rights.
It is crucial to remember that aid must be administered properly with consideration given to regional scenarios and cultural diversity. It should also be monitored to successfully advocate human rights, empower people, support sustainable and equitable growth, and encourage cooperation between local communities and governments.
