ABSTRACT
British foreign policy has been, unsurprisingly, far more scrutinized than that of Canada or Australia. A substantial body of literature has been devoted to the history and purposes of British overseas development assistance. Rather than review that in its entirety I will here consider the ways that British foreign policy generally, and aid policy and practice more specifically, have reflected changing ideas of what the concept of human rights means and how it can and should be pursued. The first portion of this chapter reviews the role of human rights in British foreign policy rhetoric and practice more generally, with special attention to the last 25 years, before turning to the tool of development assistance specifically. I will also consider whether pursuing human rights is generally commensurate with or conflicting with other goals, for it is only in the latter cases that we will be able to see what choices are made when priorities must be set.
