Human Rights and Structural Adjustment

Critique of the effect of World Bank and IMF structural adjustment agreements on developing countries.

M. Rodwan Abouharb (Author), David Cingranelli (Author)

9780521676717, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 13 December 2007

292 pages, 2 b/w illus. 20 tables
22.7 x 15.3 x 1.7 cm, 0.47 kg

'… political scientists, economists, and other empirical researchers will relish analyzing, re-estimating, dissecting, and extending this seminal contribution from Abouharb and Cingranelli for years to come.' Human Rights and Human Welfare

'Structural adjustment' has been a central part of the development strategy for the 'third world'. Loans made by the World Bank and the IMF have been conditional on developing countries pursuing rapid economic liberalization programmes as it was believed this would strengthen their economies in the long run. M. Rodwan Abouharb and David Cingranelli argue that, conversely, structural adjustment agreements usually cause increased hardship for the poor, greater civil conflict, and more repression of human rights, therefore resulting in a lower rate of economic development. Greater exposure to structural adjustment has increased the prevalence of anti-government protests, riots and rebellion. It has led to less respect for economic and social rights, physical integrity rights, and worker rights, but more respect for democratic rights. Based on these findings, the authors recommend a human rights-based approach to economic development.

Part I. The Argument: 1. Structural adjustment programs undermine human rights
2. Respect for human rights promotes development
3. Theory
Part II. Estimating the Human Rights Effects of Structural Adjustment: 4. Hypotheses and methods
5. Selection
Part III. Findings: 6. Economic and social rights
7. Civil conflict
8. Torture, murder, disappearance and political imprisonment
9. Worker rights
10. Democracy
Part IV. Conclusion: 11. A rights-based approach to development.

Subject Areas: Environmental economics [KCN], Human rights [JPVH], United Nations & UN agencies [JPSN1], International relations [JPS]