ABSTRACT
First, we need to examine what aid policy-makers are saying – not just to the public, but to each other, when they can be at their most candid about what decisions are being made and why. How often proportionally are rights considerations brought to the table as opposed to other foreign policy goals? And what factors influence how large the role of rights is? Does a valuable trading relationship between donor and recipient mean that the rights issue is considered less frequently, or that violating recipients are less likely to be punished? Do human rights fall by the wayside for strategically important recipients?
