A humanitarian-development nexus? A discourse analysis on the current Danish focus
Authors
Helqvist, Julie ; Foldager, Michelle Damborg
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2017
Submitted on
2017-07-30
Pages
72
Abstract
Afhandlingen undersøger det voksende fokus på "nexus"—sammenhængen mellem humanitær bistand (akut nødhjælp) og udviklingsbistand (langsigtet støtte)—i lyset af Danmarks udviklingsstrategi fra 2017, The World 2030. Vi anvender en diskursanalyse, dvs. vi undersøger, hvordan emnet bliver omtalt og indrammet, baseret på interviews med repræsentanter fra dansk civilsamfund og Udenrigsministeriet samt dokumenter og rapporter fra FN og tilknyttede organisationer. Vi finder, at den nuværende opmærksomhed på nexus er særlig, men at diskussionen om at forbinde nødhjælp og udvikling har været tilbagevendende siden 1990’erne i Danmark og internationalt. Vi identificerer flere fortællinger i internationale forhandlinger og argumenterer for, at skift i prioritering af nexus påvirkes af globale begivenheder og politiske udmeldinger. Nuværende pres—fx migration og andre komplekse kriser—har medført markant underfinansiering af humanitær bistand, fremhævet i rapporten "Too Important to Fail"; handlingsplanen "Grand Bargain" foreslår initiativer og har igen sat nexus på den internationale dagsorden. I Danmark præger internationale forhandlinger i høj grad den nationale debat, men særlige danske interesser skaber spændinger og paradokser, når nødhjælp og udvikling kobles. Vi reflekterer også over magtforholdet mellem FN og Danmark.
This thesis examines the growing emphasis on the "nexus"—the link between humanitarian aid (short-term emergency relief) and development aid (long-term support)—in the context of Denmark’s 2017 development strategy, The World 2030. We use a discourse analysis, meaning we study how people talk about and frame these issues, drawing on interviews with representatives from Danish civil society and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as on documents and reports from the United Nations and related organizations. We find that today’s attention to the nexus is distinctive, yet debates about connecting relief and development have recurred since the 1990s in Denmark and internationally. We identify several narratives in international negotiations and argue that shifts in how the nexus is prioritized are influenced by global events and policy statements. Current pressures—such as migration and other complex crises—have led to serious underfunding of humanitarian aid, highlighted in the report "Too Important to Fail"; the "Grand Bargain" action plan proposes initiatives and has put the nexus back on the international agenda. In Denmark, international negotiations strongly shape national discussions, but specific Danish interests create tensions and paradoxes when relief and development are combined. We also reflect on the power relationship between the UN and Denmark.
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