the right to development and alternative globalisations

7/27/2019 the right to development and alternative globalisations

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the right to developmentand alternative globalisations

HRD-122010



overview:

1. the right to development2. globalisation and globalism3. neoliberal globalism: rights challenges4. alternative globalisations?



1986 Declaration on the Right to Development - key elements

individuals 'participate' in process of development (Art. 1,2 8)

individuals have 'equal opportunity of access' to resources (8)entitled to a 'fair distribution' of the benefits of development (2,8)states have primary responsibility for 'the creation of conditionsfavourable to the realization of the Right to Development' (3)states have the duty to 'cooperate with each other in ensuringdevelopment and eliminating obstacles to development .. [and] toformulate international development policies' (3, 4)development to be carried out 'maintaining full respect for civiland political as well as economic, social and cultural rights' (6, 9)



MDGs - 'Development Partnerships'

8. 'Develop a global partnership for development' --> the debate

about 'means' - once more:Samir Amin 2006 - "Each of these goals is certainlycommendable … [but it is] assumed without question thatliberalism is perfectly compatible with the achievement of thegoals … [the] open and multilateral commercial and financialsystem … [is] part of a series of discourses … intended tolegitimize the policies and practices implemented bydominant capital and those who support it ”



MDG 8. Develop a global partnershipfor development - 5 'targets'

1. Address the special needs of least developed

countries, landlocked countries and small islanddeveloping states

2. Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable,non-discriminatory trading and financial system

3. Deal comprehensively with developing countries’ debt

4. In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies,provide access to affordable essential drugs indeveloping countries

5. In cooperation with the private sector, makeavailable benefits of new technologies, especiallyinformation and communications"



Economic growth - the root of development?

China - champion in econ. growth over past 30 yearsWhat about its progress in human development?China's increase in average incomes and its supposedreduction in income poverty dominates global statisticslet's look at its weaker progress with health indicators ..



China, GDP growth 1978-2005 (NBS 2006)~10% av, c.f. world average for same period, ~ 3%



China's health improvements slowed with more'market' polices

After 1949 "dramatic reductions in mortality and morbidity of the nexttwo decades were brought about through improvement in socioeconomicconditions, an emphasis on prevention and almost universal access tohealth care .. the 'Great Leap Forward' [only] brought about a temporaryreversal in these trends" (Hesketh and Zhu 1997)"a spectacular improvement in life expectancy in China, from about 60years in 1964-1982 to nearly 70 years in the period 1990-2000, with a

further improvement to 71 years by 2000" (Banister & Hill 2004)China's "relative advance [in child survival rates] decreased during thereform period" (Grigoriou, Guillaumont and Yang 2005)With "economic transition and health sector reform … general mortalityrates [were] decreasing .. but the differences between urban and rural

increasing .. health insurance coverage decreased" (Gao Qian, Teng,Erikkson, Blas 2002)Health expenditure went from 20% private in 1980 to almost 60%private by 2000 (Rand Corp 2008)



Infant Mortali ty, 1990-2008

37

30

18

37

26

19

62

54

45

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1990 2000 2008

I M p

e r

1 , 0

0 0 l i v e

b i r t h s

China Upper middle income Global av

China: relative rate of reduction in infant mortali ty, 1990-2008only average improvements despite huge economic growth



2. globalisation and ‘globalism’

the neoliberal ‘consensus’ on internationaldevelopment is often expressed through the revisedmodernist concept of globalisation‘globalism’ can distinguish the ideology of corporate

demands from actual processes of globalisation(Hoogvelt 1997)globalist debates create a context for ‘goodgovernance’ arguments

corporate globalisation c.f. ‘inclusive globalisation’ (UNDP)

Ankie Hoogvelt (1997) Globalization and the Postcolonial World



neoliberal globalisation / integration

resource/market control – borderless property rights

the ‘Washington consensus’ – open markets,privatisation, servicing private investment, IPRsideology of liberal ‘freedoms’, but also ‘destroyingdisconnectedness’ *

aid – rewards and discipline* Barnett (2004) says there is no US empire, but maintains the only way theUS can achieve "strategic security" is by "destroying disconnectedness" –the "core" is countries that have been "globalised"



failure of neoliberal 'aid' - re. growth and health aimsWorld Bank 'irrelevant' to poverty reduction - Bank's self evaluation inAfrica found "73% failure rate" (US Congress, Melzer Commission, 2000)

successive research studies (1995-2007):‘aid does not significantly increase investment or growth ’, whetherrecipient governments were ‘liberal democratic ’ or ‘repressive ’ (Boone1995)World Bank study argues 'the impact of aid depends on the quality of state institutions and policies' (Burnside and Dollar 1998) -->Washington based Millennium Challenge Corporation, more conditional‘aid ’ (Easterly 2006)Further study found no support for the Burnside and Dollar ‘good policyenvironment ’ conclusion (Easterly, Levine, and Roodman 2003)IMF study finds bilateral aid does not reduce infant mortality (Masud andYontcheva 2005: 20); another IMF study suggests “doubling health aid ”links to 2% reduction in I.M. (Mishra and Newhouse 2007: 29); c.f.MDGs



globalist claims:

'globalisation' [policies to reduce the social regulation

on and enhance the market access of internationalised companies] has enhanced humanrights by having:

reduced global poverty

improved human health and life spans andincreased global communications and information flows

Johan Norberg (2005) from Timbro, a Swedish ‘think tank’ funded and directed by theConfederation of Swedish Enterprise



important technological developments, e.g.telecom and internet - though most often

through public investment and public subsidy

communications

life expectancies and public health haveimproved dramatically over the past century –but deterioration in many countries under SAPs

human health

global income poverty has declined, mainly

because of East Asian growth* – but povertyand unemployment rose in Eastern Europe andsouthern Africa (NB. new UN poverty measures)

poverty

evidence of recent decades



Source : Francisco Ferreira and Martin Ravallion (2008) 'Global poverty and inequality', WPS 4623, World Bank

20.70%841m

24.45%876m

29.69%844m

Global excl China

18.09%969m

22.66%1087m

32.72%1269m

X Poverty (<$1/day): Global

51.582095m

56.262016m

58.87%1673m

Global excl China

47.55%

2547m

55.52%

2665m

64.25%

2492m

Poverty (<$2/day): Global

200419961984

Global income poverty - the World Bank story

Regional trends in income poverty 1984-2004: East Asia down (77% to37%); East Europe up (4% to 10%); LatAm down (32% to 22%); South Asiadown (87% to 77%); S/S Africa down (77% to 72%) - Ferreira & Ravallion 2008



Price calculations and poverty estimates?

However, a 2008 revision of Chinese inflation substantiallyaltered these poverty estimates - estimates of purchasingpower parity (PPP) "show the Chinese economy to be about40 percent smaller in PPP terms than previously thought".The World Bank then revised its extreme poverty figures forChina 50% upwards -- BUT it also revised its earlier figuresupwards, allowing the argument that poverty had fallen asmuch or more than had been predicted (i.e. 74 to 15%,instead of 64 to 10%)

- World Bank, January 2008 'New PPPs and China's Economy'Note: problem of modernisation and 'structural inflation' -urbanisation and new commodities change cost structures



However US$1/day (‘extreme poverty’) and US$2/day (‘poverty’) areincreasingly meaningless: compare them to national poverty indicators

By contrast the UNDP’s HPI-1 combines: life expectancy, literacy rates,access to safe water, underweight children and income povertyConsequence - the rise of human development indicators

34.192.470.8Nigeria28.680.434.3India16.743.93.1Egypt27.152.47.5Indonesia4.634.99.9China21.521.27.5Brazil

17.05.6<2Chile

Popn undernational povertyline

Popn <$2day

Popn <$1day

UNDP 2007, Table 3for 1990-2005



3. neoliberal globalism: rights challenges

1. Self-determination2. Protection of children3. Democracy in global governance

"Financial policy should not be limited to the banks, but it should be dedicated tohuman beings whose concerns ought to be at the centre of the debates." -Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights



1. Self-determination:

1. All peoples have the right of self-determination … [they] freelydetermine their political status and freely pursue their economic,

social and cultural development.2. All peoples may … freely dispose of their natural wealth and

resources … In no case may a people be deprived of its ownmeans of subsistence (ICCPR/ICESCR, Art. 1)

The UN’s HRC (GC 12, 1984) says the realization of this right "is anessential precondition for the effective guarantee andobservance of individual human rights … for that reason states …placed this provision as Article One apart from and before allof the other rights "



Neoliberal threats to self-determination

direct interventions - on various pretexts, includinghuman rightseconomic domination - MNCs and financial leverage(Washington consensus models)seizure / privatisation of strategic resources andmarketspressure on trade regimes to dismantle subsistence

sectors and privilege export sectors



2. Protection of children:

'Every child shall have, without any discrimination as to race,

colour, sex, language, religion, national or social origin,property or birth, the right to such measures of protection asare required by his status as a minor, on the part of hisfamily, society and the State.'

- ICCPR, Article 24-1'Special measures of protection and assistance should betaken on behalf of all children and young persons'

- ICESCR, Article 10-3Related ICESCR rights: 'adequate standard of living' (art.11), 'free from hunger' (art. 11), health (art.12) education(art. 13)



impact of neoliberal regime on children:

children most severely affected by 'user pays' approaches toeducation, nutrition and healthmany children permanently damaged before they have anychance to own property or participate in a market system

child mortality (IM, diarrhoea, malaria, measles, HIV/AIDS):'Nearly 10 million children under the age of five die each year – more

than 1000 every hour – but most could survive threats and thrive withaccess to simple, affordable interventions' - WHO 2009

children not enrolled in school: totalworld 32.5%

low human development 52.4%2007 figures from UNDP 2009



3. Democracy in global governance

'Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity,without any of the distinctions mentioned in article 2 andwithout unreasonable restrictions: (a) To take part in theconduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosenrepresentatives …'

- ICCPR, Article 25Note:

Democratic participation as a right not limited to nationalsystemsComplaints over democracy in IFIs and WTO



WTO 'consensus' model

A system of pressures, threats and dominationAileen Kwa and Fatoumata Jawara (2004) Behind the Scenes at the WTO

IMF / WB 'shareholder' modelQuota payment linked to economy and votes, some minimum votes,85% vote needed to change quotas - minimal reform in April 2008Countries urging reform of IMF / World Bank quota system: - India,China, Russia, Brazil, most other developing countries

Aid - fundamentally undemocratic



4. alternative globalisations?

strategic or partial autonomy?

'economic self-determination', and its problemsdeglobalisation (Bello)emerging regional variants



Walden Bello's 'deglobalization'

a. ‘deglobalization’ (strategic autonomy)a process of deconstruction plus reconstructionrequires an alternative system of global governancemust reduce power of MNCs and US militaryaims to “embed economy in society” (Polanyi)

b. deconstructionreduce IMF to advisory, technical bodyWorld Bank – end loans, devolve grants to democratic bodiesWTO – ‘stop the bicycle’ * undermine US-EU ‘consensus’ * assist participation of DCs* work with social movements, south and north, to build pressure* coordinate global protest at WTO peak meetings



c. reconstruction

build investment from local resourcesland reform and income distributionde-emphasise growth and focus on sustainabilitydemocratic voice v. market determinism

civil society monitoring and accountabilityeconomies to include cooperatives and exclude TNCs

‘subsidiarity’ – preference for local production (e.g.. food)

Bello, Walden (2002) Deglobalization , Zed Books, New York



Counter-currents: cultural protection

Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions - signed by 148 nations at UNESCO, 20 October 2005FOR 148AGAINST 2 USA, IsraelABSTAIN 4 Australia, Nicaragua, Honduras, Liberiaenters into force three months after its ratification by 30 States

reaffirms the sovereign right of states to elaborate cultural policies"to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions" and "tocreate the conditions for cultures to flourish and to freely interact” guarantees that measures aimed at protecting cultural expressionsdo not hinder respect for human rightswill influence WTO (GATS and investment) negotiations



emerging regional models

North American : 'FTAs': tariff reductions, strong investorand IPR privileges, agricultural liberalisation (cf. WTO)European : strong investor privileges but social integration(labour, infrastructure, fiscal), cultural protection,agricultural protectionEast Asian : selective tariff reduction, cultural protection,limited investor and IPR privilegesLatin American : rejection of FTAA (esp. investor,agriculture, IPR); tariff reductions, ALBA-style barter swaps,diverse integration moves, new regional institutions, new

currency (SUCRE)



South-south,anti-imperial,socialist

Lax,selective

Cultural protection

Regional & public

Tariffs,subsidies,safeguards

Selectivelyliberal

LatAm(ALBA)

Developmentalstate,

pragmatism

Lax,selective

Cultural protection

Controlled Tariffs,subsidies,safeguards

Selectivelyliberal

East Asia(ASEAN+3)

Investor driven,socially inclusive

StrongCultural protection

StrongSubsidies,safeguards

LiberalEuropean(EU)

Hegemonic,investor driven

Verystrong

ImperialStrongSubsidiesLiberalNthAmerican('global')

Distinctfeatures

IPRsCulturalindustries

Foreigninvestorprivileges

Agric.Protection

Commodity trade

model

Regional Trade and Integration Emphases

source: Anderson 2009



In conclusion:

alternatives conditioned by 30 years of neoliberalismglobalist ideology and globalisation claims contestedimportant rights at stake - e.g. economic self-determination,protection of children, democracy in global governanceeconomic self-determination could be strategic, overwhelming splitwith neoliberalism, or partial independent moves in particular areasdifferences over 'decoupling' (e.g. over 'new financial architecture')some practical alternatives emerging in regional alliances

next week: review of the unit, exam revision, development strategiesand the aid industry

the right to development and alternative globalisations

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