International Development Cooperation

The fourth Kashiyama Seminar was held as an international symposium at the annual conference of Japan Association for Asian Studies (June 2019, Keio University) on the theme of 'Southeast Asian Studies in Asia: New Perspectives on Inter-Asia Relations'. Current work on Southeast Asian Studies in Asia covers a diverse range of issues. Political science work tends to focus on traditional topics such as democratization or domestic political integration, while research concerns in the field of economics generally involves cross-regional and globally comparative topics such as sub-regional development. Work on Islamic Studies and Ethnic Studies of Chinese in Southeast Asia have been rapidly emerging in the humanities and social sciences. Ethnic Chinese studies can be seen to coincide with Southeast Asia’s social change toward overcoming conventional social taboos. Contemporary Southeast Asian studies in Asia are diverse; those in China seems driven by Belt and Load Initiative’s momentum, while those of Taiwan seems largely related to their concern on national security issues or reconsider- ation of national identification. The purpose of the symposium was to view these diversified research trends in the academic community, and to discuss future directions for work in the field.

In Kyrgyzstan as elsewhere, foreign aid agencies fund the development and use of technical expertise in their support of institutional reforms.

However, do the government, business and foreign aid actors involved treat this expertise as a means of influencing the reforms’ legislative politics, how and to what effect? Also, how may the public, decentralized and participatory dimensions of a country’s political system inform these dynamics?

I address these questions in my research on foreign aid to business taxation reforms in Kyrgyzstan in 2010-2016 (completed in Jan ‘21).

This is the full 155-page study (+bibliography). Please see next document for a 33-page partial version (the conclusion, preceded by the introduction & research design), and further down for the separate chapters. 

Research abstract:

In dialogue with the ‘thinking and working politically (TWP)’ policy current in international development cooperation, the present study examines the leverage that foreign aid-funded technical expertise had as a resource in the legislative politics of business taxation reforms in Kyrgyzstan in 2010-2016. Specifically, it looks at how this leverage was informed by the public, decentralized and participatory dimensions of the country’s political system during that period. Thereby it explores how different national actors engaged with foreign aid-funded attempts to mobilize technical expertise for the purpose of reform advancement. The study reports that while the legislative process in Kyrgyzstan was generally associated with the primacy of informal transactions and private interests, the partakers in the policy contests treated public pressure backed by technical evidence as a significant means of influence. In particular, the country’s business leaders positioned themselves as citizen representatives who kept the government in check on its obligations to improve national wellbeing. They used the media and inter-stakeholder policy meetings to portray undesired reforms as detrimental to society, and did the same with government inaction on the reforms they favored. Thereby they sought to capitalize on the political risk that state officials and members of parliament attributed to such public criticism. As part of these attempts, business leaders drew on pro-reform technical evidence supplied with contributions from foreign aid programs. They also worked to counteract its application by the government and its foreign aid partners. Many of the policy discussion platforms where either happened were initiated or facilitated by foreign aid actors, sometimes with a concrete aspiration to influence a reform contest through the articulation of technical evidence. With these findings the study aims to contribute to the discussion about the space for foreign aid agencies to help advance positive institutional change by mobilizing technical knowhow through social stakeholder engagement.

In Kyrgyzstan as elsewhere, foreign aid agencies fund the development and use of technical expertise in their support of institutional reforms.

However, do the government, business and foreign aid actors involved treat this expertise as a means of influencing the reforms’ legislative politics, how and to what effect? Also, how may the public, decentralized and participatory dimensions of a country’s political system inform these dynamics?

I address these questions in my research on foreign aid to business taxation reforms in Kyrgyzstan (completed in Jan ‘21).

In this document you can find the study’s conclusions, preceded by an introduction to the research topic & the chapter on methods/country setting.

Research abstract:

In dialogue with the ‘thinking and working politically (TWP)’ policy current in international development cooperation, the present study examines the leverage that foreign aid-funded technical expertise had as a resource in the legislative politics of business taxation reforms in Kyrgyzstan in 2010-2016. Specifically, it looks at how this leverage was informed by the public, decentralized and participatory dimensions of the country’s political system during that period. Thereby it explores how different national actors engaged with foreign aid-funded attempts to mobilize technical expertise for the purpose of reform advancement. The study reports that while the legislative process in Kyrgyzstan was generally associated with the primacy of informal transactions and private interests, the partakers in the policy contests treated public pressure backed by technical evidence as a significant means of influence. In particular, the country’s business leaders positioned themselves as citizen representatives who kept the government in check on its obligations to improve national wellbeing. They used the media and inter-stakeholder policy meetings to portray undesired reforms as detrimental to society, and did the same with government inaction on the reforms they favored. Thereby they sought to capitalize on the political risk that state officials and members of parliament attributed to such public criticism. As part of these attempts, business leaders drew on pro-reform technical evidence supplied with contributions from foreign aid programs. They also worked to counteract its application by the government and its foreign aid partners. Many of the policy discussion platforms where either happened were initiated or facilitated by foreign aid actors, sometimes with a concrete aspiration to influence a reform contest through the articulation of technical evidence. With these findings the study aims to contribute to the discussion about the space for foreign aid agencies to help advance positive institutional change by mobilizing technical knowhow through social stakeholder engagement.

In Kyrgyzstan as elsewhere, foreign aid agencies fund the development and use of technical expertise in their support of institutional reforms.

However, do the government, business/social and foreign aid actors involved treat this expertise as a means of influencing the reforms’ legislative politics, how and to what effect? Also, how may the public, decentralized and participatory dimensions of a country’s political system inform these dynamics?

I address these questions in my research on foreign aid to business taxation reforms in Kyrgyzstan (completed in Jan ‘21).

Here you can find the study's abstract, foreword, introduction, table of contents and bibliography.

In Kyrgyzstan as elsewhere, foreign aid agencies fund the development and use of technical expertise in their support of institutional reforms.

However, do the government, business/social and foreign aid actors involved treat this expertise as a means of influencing the reforms’ legislative politics, how and to what effect? Also, how may the public, decentralized and participatory dimensions of a country’s political system inform these dynamics?

I address these questions in my research on of foreign aid to business taxation reforms in Kyrgyzstan (completed in Jan ‘21).

This is the study’s conceptual framework chapter, which critically reviews the ‘thinking and working politically’ (TWP) development aid policy current (and related political economy of institutional reform/governance aid literature).

In Kyrgyzstan as elsewhere, foreign aid agencies fund the development and use of technical expertise in their support of institutional reforms.

However, do the government, business/social and foreign aid actors involved treat this expertise as a means of influencing the reforms’ legislative politics, how and to what effect? Also, how may the public, decentralized and participatory dimensions of a country’s political system inform these dynamics?

I address these questions in my research on foreign aid to business taxation reforms in Kyrgyzstan (completed in Jan ‘21).

This is the study’s research design & methods chapter, which also discusses my general finding on the character of Kyrgyzstan’s legislative politics in the realm of private sector governance.

In Kyrgyzstan as elsewhere, foreign aid agencies fund the development and use of technical expertise in their support of institutional reforms.

However, do the government, business/social and foreign aid actors involved treat this expertise as a means of influencing the reforms’ legislative politics, how and to what effect? Also, how may the public, decentralized and participatory dimensions of a country’s political system inform these dynamics?

I address these questions in my research on foreign aid to business taxation reforms in Kyrgyzstan (completed in Jan ‘21).

This is one of the study’s four case study chapters, which examine four sets of business taxation reforms supported by the IFC/USAID. It looks at the issue of scaling back the voluntary patent tax regime.

In Kyrgyzstan as elsewhere, foreign aid agencies fund the development and use of technical expertise in their support of institutional reforms.

However, do the government, business/social and foreign aid actors involved treat this expertise as a means of influencing the reforms’ legislative politics, how and to what effect? Also, how may the public, decentralized and participatory dimensions of a country’s political system inform these dynamics?

I address these questions in my research on foreign aid to business taxation reforms in Kyrgyzstan (completed in Jan ‘21).

This is one of four case study chapters, which examine four sets of business taxation reforms supported by the IFC/USAID. It looks at the issue of transferring social insurance payments administration from the State Social Fund to the State Tax Service.

In Kyrgyzstan as elsewhere, foreign aid agencies fund the development and use of technical expertise in their support of institutional reforms.

However, do the government, business/social and foreign aid actors involved treat this expertise as a means of influencing the reforms’ legislative politics, how and to what effect? Also, how may the public, decentralized and participatory dimensions of a country’s political system inform these dynamics?

I address these questions in my research on foreign aid to business taxation reforms in Kyrgyzstan (completed in Jan ‘21).

This is one of the study’s four case study chapters, which examine four sets of business taxation supported by the IFC/USAID. It looks at the issue of reconciling the overlap between the VAT and the sale tax.

In Kyrgyzstan as elsewhere, foreign aid agencies fund the development and use of technical expertise in their support of institutional reforms.

However, do the government, business/social and foreign aid actors involved treat this expertise as a means of influencing the reforms’ legislative politics, how and to what effect? Also, how may the public, decentralized and participatory dimensions of a country’s political system inform these dynamics?

I address these questions in my research on foreign aid to business taxation reforms in Kyrgyzstan (completed in Jan ‘21).

This study chapter brings together my findings from across the four case study reforms: scaling back the voluntary patent tax regime, social insurance payments administration transfer, reforming VAT administration, and reforming indirect taxation.

In Kyrgyzstan as elsewhere, foreign aid agencies fund the development and use of technical expertise in their support of institutional reforms.

However, do the government, business/social and foreign aid actors involved treat this expertise as a means of influencing the reforms’ legislative politics, how and to what effect? Also, how may the public, decentralized and participatory dimensions of a country’s political system inform these dynamics?

I address these questions in my research on foreign aid to business taxation reforms in Kyrgyzstan (completed in Jan ‘21).

This document is the study’s concluding chapter, which also connects my findings with the literature on ‘thinking and working politically’ (TWP) in international development cooperation.

This chapters provides an analysis of the author's field work experience in leading the setting up the Human Rights Centre at the National University of Timor-Leste. This is contextualized in the wider framework of the affirmation of human rights education worldwide, and offers a fresh reflection about the intersections between development cooperation and the universities, as actors of change.

RESUMEN: Uno de los principales retos que afronta la cooperación Sur-Sur (CSS) es la escasa in-formación acerca de su funcionamiento, resultados y efectos que tiene en el desarrollo. Este documento tiene el propósito de contribuir a la literatura con una aproximación al respecto, a partir del análisis de la política de cooperación Sur-Sur de Chile, teniendo en cuenta los elementos propios de esta modalidad para conformar un primer juicio de la consistencia teórica en la práctica, así como de los resultados que se obtienen de su ejecución. Palabras clave: evaluación de políticas públicas; cooperación Sur-Sur; Chile.

ABSTRACT: South-South cooperation (SSC) suffers from little existing information about its operation, results, and effects on development. The purpose of this research is to contribute to the literature an approach to these aspects of the SSC from an analysis of Chile's South-South Cooperation Policy, taking into account how far the theoretical approaches of SSC are applied on their normative and practical process as well as the results obtained in the process.

Optometric education and resources are drastically deficient in most of Africa, more so in Lusophone Africa where the problem is compounded by language barriers which isolate these countries from related developments in Africa and/or low income countries.

The increased political significance of South-South Cooperation (SSC), globally and within Brazilian Foreign Policy, has produced a variety of SSC accountability-related disputes. This paper unpacks the ways in which accountability has been problematised and negotiated in the last decade between the competing stakeholders and publics of Brazilian SSC along three intersecting dimensions: geopolitical, bureaucratic and state-society relations.

The research discusses the United Nations Development System (UNDS) and the process of mainstreaming South-South Cooperation (SSC) as part of its regular work in the area of development, covering the period of 1970-2015. The study considers the history of the ideas of development and SSC by analyzing political negotiations that occur at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters, in New York, between the so-called First UN (composed by its Member States) and the Second UN (composed by the international civil servants who work for the Secretariat). Based upon the North-South divide and the attitudinal barriers of the Secretariat, the research will discuss the following issues: the incorporation of the idea of SSC in the normative framework of the UNDS; the impact of the operational incorporation of SSC in the governance of the UNDS; and the financing for integrating SSC in the UNDS. Due to its role in the field, the research will highlight the performance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the promotion of SSC.