Utopia or Reality? The Implementation of a Human Rights-Based Approach to the New Partnership for Africa's Development

Type of content
Theses / Dissertations
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Political Science
Degree name
Master of Arts
Publisher
University of Canterbury. Political Science and Communication
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
Date
2006
Authors
Kalla, Britt
Abstract

The intention of this thesis is to assess the World Bank's SAPs as the principal economic impediment to implementing an RBA to NEPAD. This assessment is sought to contribute to calculating the feasibility for implementation. It is assumed that the RBA is the best approach currently available to further the significant cause of sustainable human, social and economic development in developing countries generally, and in Africa in particular. Sustainable development in Africa is recognised as an extremely significant step in promoting peace and security on the continent and internationally. Various NGOs, development institutes and scholars have argued that NEPAD lacks an RBA to development. However, while the critics are many, the question has not been voiced as to the obstacles Africa and international society face in applying an RBA to NEPAD. In an attempt to narrow this gap, the World Bank's SAPs are analysed. It has been shown many times that adjustment programmes do not adhere to the human rights standards spelled out, in particular, in the articles of the ICESCR. In addition, SAPs fail to incorporate human rights principles such as participation and accountability. Consequently, because SAPs are not based on international human rights standards and principles, they do not fulfil the requirements of an RBA to development. It follows that the approach cannot be applied to NEPAD as long as the World Bank's SAPs fail to adhere to these standards and principles and, thus, lead to the violation of people's human rights in developing countries. To reach a reasonable conclusion on the Bank's current human rights practices, its employment of SAPs in developing countries is analysed. Moreover, David Held's regime of liberal international sovereignty is examined and applied to this case. Both investigations discover independently of each other that the implementation of an RBA to NEPAD is unrealistic under the current circumstances.

Description
Citation
Keywords
human rights, human rights-based approach, development, New Partnership for Africa's Development
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Rights
Copyright Britt Kalla