The conditionality of Irish aid towards Sudan

Abstract

The study of development aid must take into account the wider political and economic context within which any aid policy is operating, and the influence of the major financial institutions whose terms of conditionality have had the effect of transforming the structure of the economies of a vast number of countries. The aim of the study to present the implications of conditionality of aid and policy in general as well as conditionality in Irish Aid in particular towards Sudan..It considers development policy in relation to both economic conditionality and political conditionality. .The study will demonstrate a clear trend in Irish policy towards the norms of other large western sates during the 1990s .Also the study will refer to all the various kinds of contributions that Ireland has made to Sudan focused programmes including Irish contribution to the United Nations relief, to World Bank and IMF projects. The research focuses on the approach of Irish aid from both a national and a global perspective. A large proportion of Irish aid is administered multilaterally through the European Union and other international organizations but it is beyond the scope of this study to cover this area. The focus will be on the impact of Irish development assistance in Sudan. Irish aid administered by the Irish Government and national voluntary aid organisations, and the international financial institutions the World Bank and the IMF, and refers to documentation relating to these institutions. The global economic recession has fostered a climate where support for development aid is set against domestic social needs of donor countries. Furthermore, Africa in particular has experienced a decline in its share of the world export markets, Sudan has been chosen as case study to examine the impact of Irish Aid.