Transcript Foreign Aid and Human Rights

FOREIGN AID AND
HUMAN RIGHTS
By Desmond Ferrell and Sarah Griffin
“The European Union is founded
on a shared determination to
promote peace and stability and
to build a world founded on
respect for human rights,
democracy and the rule of law.
These principles underpin all
aspects of the internal and
external policies of the European
Union.” ~ The Council of the
European Union
Respect for human rights
DOES EUROPEAN UNION FOREIGN AID
IMPROVE HUMAN RIGHTS CONDITIONS IN
RECIPIENT COUNTRIES?
HYPOTHESIS: YES
EU Foreign Aid
 Emilie
Hafner-Burton
 Sabine
 Thad
Carey
Dunning
BACKGROUND LITERATURE

Vreeland Foreign Aid Data

Cingranelli-Richards (CIRI) Human Rights Index
METHODOLOGY

Independent Variable: EU foreign aid

Dependent Variable(s): Human Rights (Physical Integrity &
Empowerment Rights)

Control Variables:

Post- Cold War

GDP per capita

Population

Democracy

War
VARIABLES
Physical
Integrity
EU Aid
Political
Disappearance
Torture
Imprisonment
Free
Electoral Self-
Speech
Determination
0.001
0.001
-0.000
-0.000
-0.001
-0.001
(1.45)
(2.45)*
(0.59)
(0.33)
(2.37)*
(1.85)
-0.000
-0.000
-0.000
-0.000
-0.000
0.000
(3.07)**
(1.03)
(1.05)
(2.88)**
(0.62)
(0.33)
Democracy 0.015
0.003
0.021
-0.002
0.016
0.070
(1.82)
(0.50)
(3.83)**
(0.93)
(2.74)**
(10.48)**
-0.393
-0.370
0.105
-0.020
-0.064
-0.121
(3.95)**
(4.53)**
(1.69)
(0.61)
(0.93)
(1.52)
0.000
0.000
-0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
(1.69)
(2.59)**
(1.05)
(0.07)
(1.87)
(0.70)
1.285
0.666
0.316
0.075
0.651
0.824
(15.38)**
(9.70)**
(5.13)**
(3.30)**
(9.39)**
(11.39)**
465
465
465
465
465
465
Population
War
GDP per
Capita
RESULTS
Constant
N

Positive impact in relatively wealthy, democratic countries

Countries impacted by war see a negative correlation between
aid dispersals and human rights

EU should reexamine its aid giving policies to poorer countries
and countries affected by war
ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION
THANK YOU AND…