Aid and Sovereignty
by Christopher Kilby (Oct. 1996; revised Aug. 1998)
To achieve humanitarian objectives, international development assistance must be structured to ensure its effectiveness. The resulting conditionality, however, raises sovereignty concerns as attempts to promote effectiveness may conflict with respect for recipient state sovereignty and indirectly violate individuals’ right to self-determination. The paper explores the nature of this conflict and provides guidelines for official donors.
Published: Social Theory and Practice, Spring 1999, 25(1):79-92.