Power and Principle: Human Rights Programming in International Organizations (Advancing Human Rights)

253 Pages·2007·0.79 MB·English

by  Joel E. Oestreich

Power and Principle
Advancing Human Rights
Sumner B. Twiss, John Kelsay, and Terry Coonan, Series Editors
editorial board
Nigel Biggar John Langan, SJ
Stanley Cohen David Little
Michael Davis Dan Maier-Katkin
Mark Ensalaco Ann Elizabeth Moore
Gerrie ter Haar Juan E. Mendez
Simeon Ilesanmi Michael H. Posner
Rhoda E. Howard-Hassmann Fernando Teson
Breaking Silence: The Case That Changed the Face of Human Rights
Richard Alan White
For All Peoples and All Nations: The Ecumenical Church and Human Rights
John S. Nurser
Freedom from Want: The Human Right to Adequate Food
George Kent
Power and Principle: Human Rights Programming in International
Organizations
Joel E. Oestreich
Protecting Human Rights: A Comparative Study
Todd Landman
Power and Principle
Human Rights Programming in
International Organizations
Joel E. Oestreich
Georgetown University Press
washington, d.c.
As of January 1, 2007, 13-digit ISBN numbers have replaced the 10-digit system.
13-digit 10-digit
Paperback: 978-1-58901-159-5 Paperback: 1-58901-159-7
Cloth: 978-1-58901-158-8 Cloth: 1-58901-158-9
Georgetown University Press, Washington, D.C.
© 2007 by Georgetown University Press. All rights reserved. No part of this
book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage
and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Oestreich, Joel E.
Power and principle : human rights programming in international
organizations / Joel E. Oestreich.
p. cm. — (Advancing human rights)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-58901-159-5 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-58901-159-7 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-13: 978-1-58901-158-8 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-58901-158-9 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Human rights. 2. International agencies. 3. United Nations. I. Title.
JC571.O357 2007
341.4ʹ8—dc22
2006031188
∞ This book is printed on acid-free paper meeting the requirements of
the American National Standard for Permanence in Paper for Printed
Library Materials.
14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
First printing
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ix
Chapter One
Agency and Intergovernmental Organizations 1
Chapter Two
UNICEF, Human Rights, and Children 26
Chapter Three
The World Bank: Pushing at the Boundaries of
“Economic” 65
Chapter Four
The World Health Organization: A Case of Incomplete
Development 117
Chapter Five
What Do Intergovernmental Organizations Want? 156
Chapter Six
The Ethical Responsibilities of Intergovernmental
Organizations 183
Notes 211
References 213
Index 231

Acknowledgments
This book is the result of a long process of research and writing
on the issue of intergovernmental organizations, and many people
have provided invaluable help along the way. Thomas Biersteker,
Craig Murphy, and Nancy Rosenblum all provided support and in-
tellectual assistance while I was doing my early research on the
World Bank. Thomas Weiss gave important guidance during early
work on UNICEF and the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC). The chapter on UNICEF draws heavily on the work of Pa-
tricia Smyke, who has written the defi nitive history of UNICEF’s
involvement in the early years of the CRC. I am heavily indebted
to her research. Where possible, I have tried to confi rm her infor-
mation with my own interviews or a review of the documentary
evidence. Michael Tierney was kind enough to read and comment
on chapter 1, and he made suggestions that have immensely im-
proved my theoretical argument. Peter Uvin was gracious enough
to review chapter 3. Sofi a Gruskin gave the same help for chap-
ter 4, and she has been extremely important in helping me refi ne
my understanding of the World Health Organization. I am deeply
grateful to Charli Carpenter, Richard Claude, Roger Coate, Julie
Mostov, and Kendall Stiles for commenting on drafts of the book
and, more important, for their moral support, generosity with their
time, and willingness to help. Of course, whatever errors remain
are entirely my own fault.
A number of staff members at UNICEF, the World Bank, and
the World Health Organization agreed to allow me to interview
them. All were very generous with their time and provided me with
extremely useful information about the inner workings of their or-
ganizations. Thanks are due to all of them for their time and their
candor. I promised many that I would not cite them by name, and,
just to be on the safe side, I have decided to extend that anonymity
vii
viii Acknowledgments
to all the interview participants; but they know who they are and all
have my gratitude.
At Drexel University, I owe many, many thanks to my friends
and colleagues Richardson Dilworth, Kali Gross, Christian Hu-
nold, and David Munns. Their support and friendship have kept
me going through numerous bouts of writer’s block. Thanks also
to Don Stevens and the Drexel History and Politics Department for
providing me with much-needed travel funding.
Finally, thanks to my parents, for everything else.
Acronyms and Abbreviations
CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women
CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child
IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (World Bank)
IDA International Development Association (World Bank)
IGO intergovernmental organization
IMF International Monetary Fund
NGO nongovernmental organization
UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
WHO World Health Organization
ix