The effectiveness of EU development aid and the implementation of country ownership in Caribbean small island developing states

Abstract

Development assistance is aimed at eradicating poverty and promoting the economic, environmental, social, and political development of developing countries (OECD C., 2021). The European Union (EU) is the largest contributor to Official Development Assistance (ODA). Ever since its foundation, the EU has supported Least Developed Countries (LDCs) from different regions in the world. One of these regions is the Caribbean, with a long history of colonisation. The majority of countries in the Caribbean are Small Island Developing States (SIDS) with unique characteristics that result in special vulnerabilities and challenges for their development. Effective development assistance is crucial for these countries to cope with those threatening disadvantages. One of the guiding principles for effective ODA is Country Ownership. Since the Caribbean islands are distinct from one another, with very different states of development and income levels, developing strategies and programs must be exclusively designed and implemented by each Caribbean SIDS individually. The main purpose of this dissertation is to answer the question “Was the EU development aid policy effective with respect to the implementation of the Busan Principle of Country Ownership in Caribbean Small Island Developing States?”.