Diffusion, fusion, and confusion: development cooperation in a multiplex world order

Esteves, Paulo / Stephan Klingebiel
External Publications (2020)

in: Sachin Chaturvedi / Heiner Janus / Stephan Klingebiel / Xiaoyun Li / André de Mello e Souza / Elizabeth Sidiropoulos / Dorothea Wehrmann (Eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of development cooperation for achieving the 2030 Agenda, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 185-215, online

ISBN: 978-3-030-57938-8
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57938-8_9
Volltext/Document

Development cooperation (DC) is shaped by norms. We aim at filling a gap of research on DC by using the academic debates in international relations on norms. Contrary to interpretations that consider developed countries as norm-makers and developing countries as norm-takers, our analysis provides evidence that—and highlights how—Southern agents have influenced the processes of norm-setting and norm-diffusion for DC. The OECD was the dominant norms “entrepreneur” for a long period of time; more recently, developing countries have played a significant role in setting DC norms. We identify the diverging norms for official development assistance and South-South cooperation and the interrelationship between both norm systems. Thus, norm-making, norm-taking, and norm-diffusion of two competing norm clusters are key terms of the contribution.

About the author

Klingebiel, Stephan

Political Science