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Do Countries Use Foreign Aid to Buy Geopolitical Influence? Evidence from Donor Campaigns for Temporary UN Security Council Seats

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  • Bernhard Reinsberg

    (School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, UK)

Abstract

In recent years, donor countries have increasingly used different aid allocation channels to boost aid effectiveness. One delivery channel that has grown tremendously is ‘multi-bi aid’—contributions to multilateral organizations earmarked for specific development purposes. This article examines whether donors use multi-bi aid to further their selfish goals—specifically, to garner political support for their ambition to become a temporary member of the UN Security Council. In this context, multi-bi aid is particularly beneficial to countries with limited experience as foreign aid donors; whose governance quality is weak; and which are more internationalized. Using a sample of OECD/DAC donor countries in 1995–2016, time-series cross-section analysis corroborates these arguments. The analysis draws on a new dataset of media reports proxying for donor interest in winning a temporary seat in the UN Security Council and extended data on multi-bi aid flows. The findings demonstrate that multi-bi aid may be a tool for geopolitical influence, with yet unexplored consequences for aid effectiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Bernhard Reinsberg, 2019. "Do Countries Use Foreign Aid to Buy Geopolitical Influence? Evidence from Donor Campaigns for Temporary UN Security Council Seats," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(2), pages 127-154.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:poango:v:7:y:2019:i:2:p:127-154
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    3. Rachel M. Gisselquist & Finn Tarp, 2019. "Aid Impact and Effectiveness: Introduction and Overview," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(2), pages 1-4.
    4. Huanhuan Zheng & Chen Li, 2022. "Can money buy friendship?—Evidence from the US and China’s competition for influence through foreign aid," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(10), pages 3224-3245, October.
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    6. Ali Balci, 2022. "Controlling International Institutions: How the US Engineered UNSC Non‐permanent Members in the Early Cold War," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 13(2), pages 259-270, May.

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