Scandinavian Human Rights Funding:

Scandinavian Funding for Democracy and Human Rights in the Areas under the Jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, 1994-2003

 

Karin Almbladh

 

 

The area under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority (PA) is a favored recipient of aid from the Scandinavian countries, all of which have poured large sums of money into the area. The bulk of the aid, however, has been concentrated on health, education, infrastructure and other activities designed to promote the social and cultural rights of the population. At the same time, however, there are gross violations of civil and political rights, by the PA, violations more or less overshadowed by the peace process and attention to Israeli violations. As a result, those human rights NGOs focusing on Israeli violations have received the lion's share of funding. This is disturbing, given that the majority of Palestinians currently live under the jurisdiction of the PA. There is an increasing awareness among donor countries, however, of the troubling situation in the area under the jurisdiction of the PA. This awareness and the growing interest in building civil society, supporting democratic institutions, and instituting the rule of law has led to greater support for NGOs focusing on human rights violations by the PA.

 

I. Human Rights and the Criteria for Scandinavian Foreign Aid

 

Criteria for aid

 

The criteria for Scandinavian foreign aid to the PA is strikingly similar to the   criteria for Scandinavian foreign aid in general. The following areas of   interest guide the funding by the various Scandinavian countries.

Norway, through Norad, the Norwegian organization for foreign aid:

  • Social development
  • Humanitarian aid
  • Economic development
  • Democracy and Human Rights
  • Women and equality[1]

 

Sweden, through Sida, the Swedish organization for foreign aid:

  • Direct support for the peace process
  • Support for social and economic development with special focus on children and teenagers
  • Contributions to the creation of a democratic Palestinian society
  • Creation of the requisites to a sustainable economic development[2]

 

Denmark, through Danida, the Danish organization for aid

 

  - Development of the social and physical infrastructure in Gaza

  - Support for projects promoting employment

  - Development of human rights and democracy

  - Support for activities by Danish NGOs[3]

 

Social and economic development and democratization are common concerns of all these countries, although each also has special interests--women and humanitarian aid for Norway, children and the peace process for Sweden, and the development of Gaza's infrastructure for Denmark.

 

Although Finland has no specific criteria for aid to the PA, the following general criteria for Finnish aid are worth citing:

 

  1. Promotion of global security

 

  Finland's security policy is based on a broad perception of security which in   addition to military security issues includes peace-building and the   development of human and ecological security.

 

  Finland's aim in the developing countries is to help manage the political and economic process of change and to create the preconditions for sustainable development and welfare. Regional cooperation, supported by Finland and the EU, promotes security. Support for political and economic institutions, civil  society and conflict prevention is crucial.

 

  2. Reduction of widespread poverty

 

  Finland's premise is that economic growth alone cannot remove poverty and that its reduction requires a democratic political system which ensures an even income distribution and the creation of a social security system for the weakest members of society. Finland participates in international efforts to reduce poverty by supporting democratic development through development cooperation and by writing off loans which burden the economies of the developing countries. Peace and security facilitate economic progress and  investment.

 

  3. Promotion of human rights and democracy

 

  The promotion of human rights and democracy is one of the central goals of  Finnish foreign and development policy. The universality of human rights and international human rights agreements, which are binding on governments, entail that the international community has a legitimate right to intervene in human rights violations wherever they occur. Intervention in human rights violations must be consistent and must not be influenced by economic interests. Finnish human rights policy focuses on the rights and equality of   minorities, indigenous peoples, and women and children, particularly girls. In its development cooperation Finland emphasizes the improvement of the conditions of disabled people.

 

 

  4. Prevention of global environmental problems

 

  Finland encourages strong commitment by its partner countries - both industrialized and developing countries - to sustainable development. The concept 'sustainable development' is used to refer to the adjustment of economic and social development to ecological realities. One of the key goals of Finnish interaction and dialogue is to encourage all states to comply with international environmental and other agreements and to fulfill their obligations under such agreements. Finland supports the harmonization of trade and environmental norms in cooperation with the developing countries.

 

  5. Promotion of economic dialogue

 

  Finland promotes the liberalization of trade and investment in the trade policy forums created for this purpose, particularly through the EU in the. World Trade Organization (WTO) and in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Finland also supports the development and implementation of international environmental and labor norms within the EU and in the developing countries. Within the WTO, Finland stresses the importance of paying sufficient attention to those trade policy issues which are important to the developing countries, and particularly to the least developed countries, and is ready to support these countries' adjustment to the world economy in a manner which takes their own special situation into account. Finland also underscores the consolidation of private enterprise and self-reliant development. Furthermore, Finland supports the development of education and human resources in order to manage the process of globalization.

 

  Finland is increasing measures to encourage imports from the developing countries. Finland encourages Finnish companies to invest in and export to the developing countries, for example, by promoting the liberalization of trade and investment, by supporting ethical trade, by developing the role of  FINNFUND and by arranging high-level visits.[4]

 

  To social and economic development, democratization, and peace, Finland adds the prevention of environmental problems.

 

Human rights

 

Among the common denominators in these funding priorities are democracy and human rights. None of the countries, however, specify what is meant by those expressions. Take the Finnish document as an example:

 

 The promotion of human rights and democracy is one of the central objectives  in Finland's foreign policy in general, and in its policy on relations with developing countries in particular. The focus on human rights in post-Cold War international politicsand Finland's accession to the EU have given this objective increased weight. The Member States of the European Union constitute a community of values, and some of the most important values linking its   members are individual human rights and democratic decision-making. Therefore, human rights have a permanent place on the agenda on one hand in the various dialogues conducted by the EU and, on the other hand, in EU's other cooperation with regions and countries outside Europe.

 

  The objective of promoting human rights and democracy is related to respect for the rule of law and good governance, and the promotion of social and   gender equality.

 

  As a result of the universal nature of human rights and the international  conventions on human rights that bind governments, the international community has a legitimate right to criticize violations of human rights in any country or impose commercial and development cooperation sanctions. As a Nordic country, Finland underlines the indivisibility of human rights, meaning that civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; and the right to develop all support each other and should be implemented in parallel.

 

Finland's primary approach to these issues is to support the broad integration of partner states into international cooperation on the basis of common norms.One objective in Finland's international interaction and dialogue is to encourage all countries to sign international human rights and other related conventions, and to promote the implementation of the obligations arising from these conventions.

 

Human rights, democracy, the rule of law and good governance play a central role in the EU's relations with developing countries. In accordance with a  decision made by the EU Council in 1995, a clause on human rights and   democracy is included in all cooperation, association and free trade  agreements made by the Union with third countries. The objective is to promote   positive action for human rights and to make human rights a permanent part of   political dialogue. On the other hand, cooperation may be suspended if the  principles of the clause are seriously violated. In cases of human rights

violations, it is also possible to impose sanctions of varying degree, ranging from visa restrictions to investment bans and trade boycotts.

 

As a rule, the EU includes a clause on human rights in all trade and cooperation agreements. Actual trade boycotts are seldom resorted to, as they   are not necessarily effective in achieving the desired goal and may affect   other than the targeted parties. Arms export restrictions and bans are the   most commonly used commercial sanctions.

 

 It is Finland's view that the development of democracy, good governance and human rights support stability and economic development, which in turn creates a solid foundation for business and investment. Finland encourages private companies to view respect for human rights as a market value, as has to some extent been done by companies in the issue of child labor and in environmental issues. There need be no conflict between trade and human rights, since their interests run parallel in the long term.

 

The key areas of Finland's human rights policy are the rights and equality of Minorities, indigenous peoples and women and children, particularly girls. This does not mean concentrating on these areas alone, but consciously increasing

 resources, expertise and initiative in these issues. In its development   cooperation Finland promotes the rights of women and girls, children,  minorities and indigenous peoples. It is also important to support the human  rights of the disabled in the developing countries.[5]

 

  In order to promote democracy, Finland supports the development of functioning

  and transparent political and economic institutions (e.g. developing judicial  systems and organizing free elections), political participation, the   evolvement of civil society and freedom of expression. Finland supports   indigenous forms of democracy which enable people to take part in decisions   affecting them at grass roots level. Human rights, constitutional government,   rule of law and democracy are further promoted by supporting networking and  cooperation between parliamentarians, the public authorities and  non-governmental organizations.[6]

 

Of the various human rights dimensions, the Scandinavian countries tend toemphasize social, economic, and cultural rights. This is explicitly stated inthe Finnish policy-document quoted above but is implicit in the policy-documentsfrom the other countries as well.

 

II. Statistical Survey of Scandinavian Aid Promoting Democracy and Civil and

Political Rights in the West Bank/Gaza[7]

 

The following is a statistical survey of Scandinavian aid designed to promote democracy and civil and political rights (CPR) in the areas under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, put in the context of the total aid.Civil and political rights are defined by the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Also included are grants to support the training of the Palestinian civil police force.

 

The inclusion of the latter is due to the fact that much Scandinavian policy ispremised on the view that government's most important task is to guarantee humanrights and to protect individuals under its jurisdiction against abuses, by bothpublic and private perpetrators. The police are seen as the main tool for upholding the rule of law. Accordingly, the training of civil police occupies a prominent position in Scandinavian aid. The same holds true for the funding of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizen's Rights (PICCR). Ostensibly designed to serve as a governmental ombudsman (see below), this would require a mandate from the highest legislative body and a functioning parliamentary democracy, immunity, and economic independence. Since these requirements are not met in the case of the PICCR, it has to seek funding in the same way as do NGOs. While donors recognize that the PICCR is not formally an NGO, they regard its existence as essential and, therefore, treat it as one.[8]

 

1. Bilateral Danish aid promoting democracy and civil and political rights in

the West Bank/Gaza

 

Information concerning Danish aid has been gathered from the official website of

the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, http://www.um.dk/udenrigspolitik/udviklingspolitik/.

 At that site, several documents are published under the heading Dansk udviklingspolitik ("Danish policy for development"). The following discussion and data are based upon the following official publications found there:

 

  Program- og projektorientering 1998: Danidas programmer og projector  ("Programmes and projects 1998: Danida programmes and projects")

 

 Program- og projektorientering 1998: NGO-programmer og projector ("Programmes

  and projects 1998: NGO programmes and projects").

 

  Danidas årsberetning 1998, ("Danida Annual Report 1998")

 

 Den rullende 5-arsplan 2000 - 2004 ("Current 5-year plan 2000 - 2004")

 

  Landestrategi for Gaza/Vestbredden februar 1997 ("Land strategy for Gaza/West

  Bank February 1997")

 

Danish aid to the West Bank/Gaza is considered to be overgangsbistand ("Transitional assistance"), and the total Danish aid (bilateral as well asmultilateral aid) to the area is budgeted at DKK 540 mil for the period 1994 -2003.[9] According to “Den rullende 5-arsplan 2000 - 2004,” the yearly budget 2000 - 2003 is scheduled to be DKK 50 mil. This aid is to be phased out by 2004.[10] The main focus of the spending is on improving the social and physical infrastructure of Gaza, budgetary assistance, job creation, funding the activities of Danish NGOs, as well as support for human rights and democracy.[11]

 

Danish aid channeled through Danida 1994 - 2000

 

Danida, the Danish authority for international aid, distributed its support forprojects promoting democracy and CPR between 1997 - 1999 as follows:

 

LAW 1997 - 1999

 

1997 DKK 0,5 mil for the publication of a HR-magazine: 4000 copies in Arabic, 1000 in English  1998 DKK 0,49 mil conference on HR in Jerusalem June 7-10, 1998  1997-1999 DKK 0,9 mil: for the publication of Peoples Rights MagazineTotal: DKK 1,89 mil[12]

 

Local NGOs 1994 - 1998

 

 1994-1998 DKK 10,8 mil: support to different local NGOs working on health  issues; aid to the physically and mentally handicapped; artisan education for   young women and men; activities for small children; human rights.  Among the   organizations that have been supported are B'tselem, PCHR, PHRIC, and   Al-Haq. This aid was channeled through Dan Church Aid.

 

Total: DKK 10,8 mil (without any breakdown by project or organization)[13]

 

Palestinian Authority 1997 - 2000

 

1997-2000 DKK 17,04 mil: training of the Palestinian (civil) police (without   any specification of the extent to which human rights training, if any, is   included in the curriculum)Total: DKK 17.04 mil[14]

 

Palestinian Authority 1998 - 2000

 

1998-2000 DKK 19 mil: support for promoting democracy, good government, and

  respect for human rights by supporting public Palestinian institutions and   Palestinian HR organizations

Total: DKK 19 mil (no breakdown by project or organization)[15]

 

 

Palestinian Pen Center 1997 - 1998

 

1997-1998 DKK 0,23 mil  1998 DKK 0,51 mil: marketing of the magazine The Pen, to appear in the first   half of 1999

 

Total: DKK 0,74 mil[16]

 

Panorama 1997 - 2000

 

1997-2000 DKK 0,40 mil: establishment of a centre for democracy in Ramallah

 

Total: DKK 0,40 mil[17]

 

PCHR 1997 – 1999

 

1997 DKK 0,49 mil: monitoring local elections in 1997[18] 1998-1999 DKK 0,95 mil: support for political prisoners in Israel and

Palestine, including legal aid to families

Total: DKK 1,44 mil[19]

 

PICCR 1997 - 2000

1997 DKK 0,33 mil

1998-2000 DKK 0,5 mil/year

 

Total: DKK 1,83 mil[20]

 

Dan Church Aid 1994-1998

 

1994-1998 DKK 0,32 mil: project monitoring in order to guarantee the

development of the projects in Gaza and the West Bank

 

Danish aid to projects channeled through NGOs 1998 - 2001

 

To the aid channeled through Danida to projects in the area under the jurisdiction of the PA, should be added the aid channeled through the Danish NGO Dan Church Aid.

 

LAW 1998 - 1999

 

1998-1999 DKK 1,94 mil: campaign against administrative detentions in Israel

 and Palestine

 

Total: DKK 1,94 mil[21]

Jerusalem Link 1998 - 2001

1998-2001 DKK 1.51 mil: education and consciousness raising activities

Total: DKK 1,51 mil[22]

 

PCHR 1998 - 2000

 

1998-2000 DKK 1, 51 mil: investigations and information concerning Israeli

and Palestinian abuse of human rights, with an emphasis on Gaza

Total: DKK 1,51 mil[23]

 

2 Bilateral Norwegian aid promoting democracy and Civil and Political Rights in

the West Bank/Gaza

 

Information on Norwegian aid has been gathered from the official website of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, http://odin.dep.no/ud/publ/publ.html#BistandThe following data and discussions are drawn from these documents located at that url.

 

Norsk bistand i fokus 1995 ("Focus on Norwegian aid, 1995")[24]

 

Norsk bistand i fokus 1997 - rapport om norsk bistand 1996 ("Focus on  Norwegian aid, 1997 - report on Norwegian aid in 1996)[25]

 

Norsk bistand i fokus 1999 - utviklingspolitisk redegj?relse 1999 - rapport om  norsk bistandsvirksomhet i 1998 ("Focus on Norwegian aid, 1999 - report on  Norwegian development aid in 1998"), covering both 1997 and 1998.[26]

 

Unfortunately neither the budget for 1999 nor 2000, nor the report for 1999 were

available at the time of this writing.

 

At http://www.mr.dep.no/statistikk, however, certain official statistics onHR-aid in 1997 and 1998 are available on aid to "peace, democracy and humanrights". However, these data lack specificity.[27]

 

In addition, access to unpublished data was received by thePalestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group (Jerusalem) on January 14, 2000 (tothe attention of Ann Kristin Brunborg) and supplied by the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs, Department for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid, as well asinformation from the Representative Office on the West Bank/Gaza on human rights projects funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[28] On March 21, 2000 KarinAlmbladh, then at PHRMG, received via fax the official minutes from the annual review meeting on development cooperation between The Palestinian Authority andthe Government of the Kingdom of Norway (Ramallah, 19 January 2000).[29]

 

Norwegian aid to the area under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority (PA) is channeled both directly from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and through Norad, the Norwegian Authority for International Development Aid.

 

The total bilateral aid to the area under the jurisdiction of the PA between 1994 - 1998 was NOK 1 261 649 000.[30] From a comparatively modest beginning in 1994, there was a steep rise in 1995 to its height in 1996. The amount fell back in 1997, only to rise again in 1998.:

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

89,730,000

254,399,000

325,121,000

289,647,000

302,752,000

 

For "peace, democracy and human rights" the following amounts were allocated during this period:[31]

 

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

45,148,000

92,704,000

53,685,000

19,819,000

42,003,000

 

 

 

For the years 1994 - 1996, the amounts allocated to "democracy, development, and

national independence" were:[32]

 

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

31,263,000

259,000

 25,457,000

 N/A

N/A

 

 

For "peace and human rights":

 

 

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

13,885,000

92,445,000

28,228,000

 N/A

N/A

 

 

 

For the years 1999-2003, the total Norwegian commitment for development projects

on the West Bank/Gaza is scheduled to be NOK 1 300 000. In addition, the annual

Norwegian contribution to UNWRA is NOK 100 000 000. The aid is allocated as

follows:

 

1) Programmes financed under bilateral agreements between Norway and the PA  (45%)

2) Support to the civil society (e.g. non-governmental organizations) (16%)

3) Industrial and commercial endeavors (assistance to both private and

governmental enterprises) (15%)

4) Assistance through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (human rights and

democratization programmes, the peace process, assistance channeled through

multilateral agencies etc) (23%)[33]

 

This suggests that programmes for HR and democracy are financed through the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Norwegian aid from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1997 - 1999

 

Details from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to programmes for HR and democracy

are available only for 1997 - 1999. The aid promoting the CPR was distributed as follows:[34]

LAW 1997 – 1999

 

1997.   NOK 0,125 mil: the publication of a HR-magazine NOK 0,365 mil: preparation` of a draft law against torture

  

1998.  NOK 0,04 mil: travel grant to Dr Shikrat, LAW, and Dr Sarraj, Gaza

    Community Mental Hospital    NOK 0,225 mil: creation of a Centre for Human Rights in East Jerusalem    NOK 0,53 mil: establishment of an entity for the control of the HR

    committee of the PLC (Legisco)

 

1999.    NOK 0,3 mil: support for services of legal advice in East Jerusalem

    NOK 0,525 mil: Legisco

 

Total: NOK 2,235 mil

 

To this aid for the promotion of CPR, LAW was also funded for projects promoting

Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ESCR). Thus in 1998, it was funded with

NOK 0,5 mil, and in 1999 with NOK 0,525 mil, for a total of NOK 1, 025 mil.

There are no details on the projects funded.

 

MIFTAH

 

1999. NOK 0,75 mil: establishment of an institute for democracy

 

Total: NOK 0,75 mil

 

PCHR 1997 - 1999

 

1997.   NOK 0,217 mil: general support for 1997

NOK 0,144 mil: HR-conference ahead of the final status negotiations between the PA and Israel

 

1998. NOK 0,0085 mil: travel support for Fatima Soboh

 

1999. NOK 0,3 mil: general support for 1999

 

Total: NOK 0,6695 mil

 

PICCR 1997 - 1999

 

1997. NOK 0,4 mil: activities in 1997

1998. NOK 0,41 mil: function as "ombudsman"

1999. NOK 0,75 mil: function as "ombudsman"[35]

 

Total: NOK 1, 56 mil

 

Temporary International Presence in Hebron

 

Included into the figures from the Department for Human Rights and Humanitarian

Aid at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are the costs for the Norwegianparticipation of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), in all NOK 32,65 mil in 1998-1999. This is somewhat problematic in the present context, since it is not clear that TIPH is a Human Rights project.

 

The mandate of TIPH is outlined as follows in the agreement on TIPH:

 

A.     to provide by their presence a feeling of security to the Palestinians of

      Hebron;

 

B.     to help promote stability and an appropriate environment conductive to the

enhancement of the well-being of the Palestinians of Hebron and their economic development;

 

C.