1 Multilateral co-operation for development

The notion of development co-operation commonly covers all the activities under­taken by the more industrialized States to promote the economic progress of the more disadvantaged countries. When States carry out these activities within the framework of an international organization, development co-operation takes on the nature of multilateral co-operation, in contrast to the co-operation that every State, in pursuing its foreign policy goals, may undertake at the bilateral level.

At the universal level, the UN and its Specialized Agencies constitute the necessary reference point for development co-operation of a technical nature. Through the transfer of know-how, carried out in the form of donations, technical co-operation primarily aims at furthering the most efficacious use, by the beneficiary States, of their own economic resources.

In contrast, development co-operation of a financial nature is organized, at the universal level, by the organizations falling within the ambit of the World Bank, notably the International Development Agency (IDA). This class of co-operation aims at mobilizing capital so as to increase the financial resources of poor countries. Unlike technical co-operation, it is not carried out in the form of donations, but through the making of loans to backward countries on conditions more advantageous to them than those prevailing on the world market.

Recently a growing tendency has emerged towards 'bilateralization' of multilateral co-operation. By the same token, a tendency is also shaping up to 'privatize' certain aspects of multilateral co-operation by increasingly having resort to non­governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as other non-governmental entities from industrialized countries. Commentators from developing countries have argued that this growing bilateralization and privatization may gradually weaken or undermine the viability of some of the existing multilateral institutions and mechanisms, or even lead to their gradual obsolescence.

1.1 A TENTATIVE STOCKTAKING

Recently major industrialized countries have increasingly turned their attention to the needs of developing countries, particularly in Africa. Thus, since the 1988 Toronto Summit the G7 Group (now G8) has pledged to cancel, or at least significantly reduce, the foreign debt of the poorest countries. At the same time the existing international institutions are constructively helping to reduce the gap between North and South.

They are also insisting on the need for a linkage between development and other matters. In particular, they are increasingly emphasizing the need for disadvantaged countries to promote development by simultaneously ensuring and also enhancing respect for human rights and protection of the environment. In some cases assistance and co-operation have been made conditional on respect for international standards on human rights and the environment (this trend may be seen, for instance, in the action of the European Union). This is a healthy development. In particular, so far 'conditionality' has not been used as a devious instrument for seeking the imposition of Western political, economic, or cultural patterns of behaviour. Rather, most of the time it has been employed as a means of promoting community values.

Past experience has shown that the legal tools available to States for assisting backward countries may be successfully used. Law provides helpful instruments, institutions and conceptual equipment. What is often missing is the political will of powerful States—too often bent on the pursuit of short-term interests, and frequently excessively self-centred—to use those tools. This in particular applies to the policy currently pursued by industrialized States towards developing countries in the area of agriculture. Contrary to their much touted principles of free trade, the USA, European countries, and Japan protect domestic agriculture by massive farm subsidies which make products artificially cheap, as well as by high tariffs designed to shield them against the importation of foreign products.

Give extensive answers to the questions.

1. What are the classes of cooperation at the universal level?

2. What are these classes cooperation pursuing nowadays?

3. Where does the difference lie between them?

4. How has the situation changed in regard to multilateral cooperation?

5. What are new trends harrowing the gap between developed backward countries?

6. What conclusion has been drown by the world community from previous experience?

Sum up the main points presented in the texts.

Full information:

1.Antonio Cassese “International Law”, 2001. PART III. Unit 18 “LEGAL ATTEMPTS AT NARROWING THE GAP BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH”.

2.Antonio Cassese “International Law”, 2005. PART V. Unit 24 “LEGAL ATTEMPTS AT NARROWING THE GAP BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH”.