Human rights shaming and NGO aid. A sectoral analysis.

Abstract

This thesis investigates the effect of human rights shaming on the allocation of bilateral aid channelled through non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Drawing on donor-recipient dyad-year panel data and detailed sectoral aid information, the study examines whether reputational pressures, triggered by international criticism of human rights violations, influence how donors allocate aid between and within sectors. The analysis focusses solely on bilateral aid delivered through NGOs, which are often seen as politically neutral and more legitimate in contested governance environments. Using an analysis on a sample of 119 aid-receiving countries between 2007-2020, this thesis finds: that human rights shaming significantly increases NGO aid, however this effect is not uniform across sectors. A positive effect is centered in the social aid sector and a negative effect in the economic aid sector, indicating strategic donor caution.