Civil Service Values: Ethics in international relations and funding

Ethics in international relations and funding

Think of neighbours in a building. If everyone throws garbage into the shared corridor to keep their own flat clean, the whole building stinks. Countries share one planet in the same way, so pure self-interest ends up hurting everyone.

Mains 2015 noted that relations between most nations are governed by promoting one’s own national interest without regard for others, causing tensions, and asked how ethics can help. Ethical tools:

• Dialogue and respect for sovereignty. Sovereignty means each country’s right to run its own affairs.
• Keeping commitments, such as honouring treaties.
• Humanitarian help without conditions, in disasters and wars.
• Cooperation on shared problems such as climate change and pandemics.

Examples to use:

• Vaccine Maitri (2021): India sent COVID-19 vaccines to many countries, including poorer neighbours, when supplies were scarce.
• Operation Dost (2023): India sent rescue teams and medical help to Türkiye and Syria after the February 2023 earthquake.
• Sri Lanka (2022): India gave emergency credit and supplies of food, fuel and medicine during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis.
• Climate talks: the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities says all countries must act, but rich countries that polluted more should do more.

Ethics in international aid

International aid is money, goods or expertise given by one country (or a global body) to another, usually poorer, country.

Mains 2023 asked for comments on “ethics in contemporary international aid”. Ethical aid:

• Respects the dignity and priorities of the recipient, not just what the donor wants to give.
• Avoids debt traps, loans so heavy that the borrower may lose control of key assets.
• Avoids political strings, conditions that force the recipient to vote or act a certain way.
• Is transparent about costs and terms.
• Builds local capacity, so the country can stand on its own later.

Unethical aid ties purchases to the donor (for example, “you must buy our equipment”), hides costs, or supports harmful projects such as ones that displace people without fair rehabilitation.

Example of a debt concern: Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port was leased to a Chinese company for 99 years in 2017 after Sri Lanka struggled to repay loans. It is often cited in debates on whether loans become a “debt trap”.

Answer framework:

Ethical theories to quote.

• Kant: treat other nations as ends in themselves, never only as tools for your gain.
• Utilitarian view: aid should do the greatest good for the greatest number, so it should go where needs are greatest.
• Gandhi’s talisman: think of the poorest person you have seen and ask whether your step will help them; apply this to aid design.

What UPSC asks: how ethics can ease tension between nations (2015) and what makes aid ethical (2023). Key lines: go beyond narrow national interest; no hidden strings; build capacity, not dependence.