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Whose resources are they anyway? ‘Development assistance’ and community development agreements in the Mongolian mining sector

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  • Peter Blunt

    (Non-resident Visiting Fellow, School of Social Sciences University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia)

Abstract

This is a case study of ‘development assistance’ that demonstrates how the interests of the supposed beneficiary of such assistance – Mongolia – were discarded as soon as there appeared to be the slightest risk that, if served, those interests might have jeopardized the economic or political interests of the donor country (Switzerland) and/or those of its (Western) trading partners and their mining corporations. Donor interests were deemed to be put at risk by a government and donor sponsored research report that made a case for strengthening mining legislation pertaining to community development agreements in Mongolia. The offending research report also challenged the establishment view of the aetiology of the ‘resource curse’, emphasizing the predisposing conditions established by neoliberal design and international financial institutions and the roles of foreign mining corporations, which are rarely mentioned in conventional accounts. The case provides further evidence for the view that Western ‘development assistance’ rendered by state capitalist ‘democracies’ (and others) is first and foremost designed, directly or indirectly, to serve the interests of the countries providing such ‘assistance’ and that development rhetoric and practice is intended to create an impression of altruism where, in reality, little or none exists.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Blunt, 2014. "Whose resources are they anyway? ‘Development assistance’ and community development agreements in the Mongolian mining sector," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 14(4), pages 383-399, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:prodev:v:14:y:2014:i:4:p:383-399
    DOI: 10.1177/1464993414521491
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Paul Collins & Alan Doig & Peter Blunt & Mark Turner & Henrik Lindroth, 2012. "Patronage'S Progress In Post‐Soeharto Indonesia," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 32(1), pages 64-81, February.
    2. Suzanne Dansereau, 2005. "Win-win or new imperialism? Public-private partnerships in Africa mining," Review of African Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(103), pages 47-62, March.
    3. Ralph Hamann & Paul Kapelus, 2004. "Corporate Social Responsibility in Mining in Southern Africa: Fair accountability or just greenwash?," Development, Palgrave Macmillan;Society for International Deveopment, vol. 47(3), pages 85-92, September.
    4. Peter Blunt & Mark Turner & Jana Hertz, 2011. "The Meaning Of Development Assistance," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 31(3), pages 172-187, August.
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