Ethical issues in International relations and funding

What are the Ethical issues with International relations and funding? What is International Ethics? What is the importance of International Ethics? What are the three perspectives of ethics in International Relations? Read here to know more about it.

We all prefer to assume that we act morally and in good faith, but these ideals frequently fall short, endangering others severely in the process.

This occurs both globally and privately, thus many specialists are looking into these problems to help individuals decide what behaviors and methods are appropriate moving forward.

Global ethics addresses moral issues and conundrums that result from economic, technological, legal, political, social, and cultural globalization, whether they affect people or entire societies.

Personal and professional ethics are complemented by a broader set of values known as global ethics, which may apply to entire populations or cultural groups. They can cover topics and discussions including social justice, human rights, international environmental protection, social responsibility and accountability, and interdependence attained by taking into account various worldviews.

What are the Ethical Issues?

Ethical issues are those that arise when a person or a group is faced with a choice that may have moral implications.

Ethics is the study of the moral code of conduct or the ideal behavior to be sought by human beings. It guides the realm of international relations as well.

There are a few ethical issues that arise when discussing international relations and funding. The first is the question of whether or not it is appropriate to fund projects in other countries.

Ethical issues can be personal or professional. Many ethical issues are social, such that one must decide whether to obey the law or act by conscience. Other ethical issues are not black and white and require careful consideration. 

What is International Ethics?

• The capacity to actively contribute to the development of a moral worldwide community might be characterized as having international ethics. The aim of creating a solid foundation of moral values that may guide international relations is to create a fair and just global community.
  The extent and nature of ethical obligations between states in the age of globalization are addressed in the field of international relations theory known as international ethics.
  It gives insight into how countries and other entities interact with other countries and their citizens.
• It advises the international community on how to address major problems. For instance, the UNCLOS has aided in distributing maritime resources fairly among all nations.
  The scope and depth of ethical obligations between states in the age of globalization are the focus of the area of international relations theory known as international ethics. How governments and other entities treat other nations and international ethics explains how inhabitants are explained by international ethics. People who are well-verate the good and evil, the rights and wrongs, that can take place in the global arena.
• Some sources of International Ethics are:
  • UN Declaration of Human Rights
  • Geneva Convention for Humanitarian Treatment in War
  • Common but differentiated responsibility under the Paris Climate Deal of UNFCCC

Three perspectives of ethics in International Relations

When it comes to ethics in international relations, there are three dominant perspectives: realism, liberalism, and constructivism.

Realistic Perspective:

• The first is the realistic perspective which suggests that a country’s national interest should be at the center of its decision-making process. 
• There is anarchy in International Relations with no world government. Hence, the state is the most important actor.
• Peace is created by Deterrence. For instance, Proponents of the Realistic Perspective are of the view that the Third World War didn’t happen because of Nuclear Weapons).

Liberal Perspective:

• The second is a liberal perspective that promotes freedom, democracy, the rule of law, civil rights, and human rights. 
• The state is an important actor but cooperation between states is possible. For instance, Mutual Cooperation in the form of WTO, UN, IMF, World Bank, UNSC, etc.
• Peace and stability are established via Cooperation.

Constructive Perspective:

• Lastly, the third is a constructivist perspective which argues that the norms and practices of social interactions influence state behavior.

Importance of International Ethics

• Legitimacy: Ethics grants and withdraws legitimacy. Practices have sprung up or abolished based on society’s core values.
• Rights and Responsibilities: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, along with the United Nations Charter, the Geneva Conventions, and other international agreements like the Refugee Convention, is among the most well-known attempts to create a broad consensus on the elements of human rights.
• Peace and Harmony: Ethics aims at a “Peaceful World”, “Respect for All” & “Equality” while forming international organizations, declarations & forums. Eg: The demand for equality in IMF & UNO shows the demand for adhering to ethics in a way.
• Solidarity: Natural disasters and refugee crises require a more compassionate view of the global community. These are not isolated events and rather, the duty of every global citizen to help in times of crisis. Eg: Aid during natural disasters (Nepal earthquake)
• Fairness: Fairness addresses normative standards for appropriate contribution, equal regard, and just desert. Eg: Amartya Sen’s “capabilities approach”.
• Responsibility Sharing: International environmental initiatives to combat issues like ozone depletion, global warming, etc., which require measures from many states that are important contributors to forces causing such problems, are guided by international ethics. Eg: the Common But Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR) principle in the Paris Climate Deal towards fighting climate change is the result of ethics in international affairs.

International Ethics and foreign funding

• It is widely argued that international funding helps in building the capacity and empowering local development actors (like NGOs) in developing countries. This is an inclusive and democratic approach to development.
• When there are places in the world with no opportunities, economic insecurity, war, instability, hunger, and overwhelming hopelessness, it’s a natural breeding ground for terrorism. So one of the best ways to tackle global terrorism is to lift people out of poverty. International funding is a way to achieve this.
• It is anticipated that the complexities of responding to climate change require partnerships between international and local NGOs and CSOs.
• Despite several such needs, many countries including India are wary of international funding due to the following reasons.

Ethical Issues with International Funding

The following are the issues with international funding.

Suppresses the Sovereignty of the Nation

It involves the following.

Conditional Funding:

• The policy framework and strategies are shaped by the donors through impositions, substantially weakening the people’s rights, choices, and decisions to choose the demands and activities necessary for their development.
• Conditionality ignores local societal diversity and local ownership.
• Eg: The IMF loans to India after the 1991 economic crisis came with severe conditions on macroeconomic policy.

Debt-Trap Funding:

• Foreign funding to governments in the form of loans to infringe on national sovereignty has also come to light due to China’s debt-trap diplomacy.
• China provides loans to Pakistan for ‘One Belt One Road’, and as Pakistan is not able to pay back, it is entangled in China’s debt trap.

Funding to NGOs

• There is a growing concern that foreign government contributors are trying to sway local NGOs’ policies and advance their interests by sponsoring them, giving their views unwarranted prominence, and supporting their initiatives.
• It has been claimed that foreign operatives utilize NGOs to further their goals, such as causing civil unrest and delaying development projects, among others.
• By delaying coal power projects, Greenpeace advances Western interests.
• Many claim that foreign sponsorship is anti-democratic since it goes against the idea of “government by, for, and of the people.”
• According to this viewpoint, civil society, whether progressive or not, is legitimate when it can generate money domestically, while NGOs that rely on foreign funding, on the other hand, distort the will of the people.

Funding terrorist organizations.

• Eg. Pakistan’s ISI has been actively supporting radical organizations to create social disharmony, radicalize local youths, and hire them for terror activities.
• In the age of Information technology, foreign funding to technology (software and hardware) companies creates a cyber-security risk.
• Example: Last year, India banned several Chinese apps and made FDI through government routes mandatory for investments from neighboring countries.

Decrease the legitimacy of Elections

• Electoral Bonds are allowed to receive foreign funds. This opens a new and more direct way of foreign influence on local politics.
• There have been allegations by some Western countries against covert Russian meddling in their elections. Such incidents can happen in India as well.

Funding for Clinical trials

• Many Western countries have been accused of funding voluntary clinical trials in poor countries in Africa and Asia.
• This is a clear violation of human rights.

When it comes to international relations and funding, there are several ethical problems to take into account. How money is dispersed effectively and efficiently is one problem. The method used to choose which projects to support is another.

There is also the issue of how to guarantee that the money is used effectively and efficiently. The problem of making sure that projects are sustainable is another.

Finally, it is important to think about how initiatives may affect nearby communities. These moral considerations are crucial because they guarantee that money is being used properly and morally.

Conclusion

To avoid creating issues later on, it is crucial to have openness and accountability in place as well as sound governance procedures from the start. Working with partner organizations can help maintain transparency and accountability.

Partnerships with those who have experienced poverty will be advantageous since they may give feedback on whether programs are effective or detrimental. The finest projects will offer chances for education, skill development, employment, and income generation.

Even though it comes with several ethical concerns, international funding is nonetheless necessary for every country’s development. If properly utilized, this funding can lead the country to progress and prosperity. The creation of an international framework by governments and international organizations is urgently required to ensure that international cash transfers are conducted ethically. India may encourage the international community to work toward this aim by using its influence as a UNSC member.

Article written by: Aseem Muhammed