Accountability and Transparency of Traditional and Emerging Donors in Colombia, Liberia and Sri Lanka

The objective of this workshop project was twofold. The first objective was to develop a common assessment framework for aid transparency and accountability, based on internationally accepted standards as outlined in the Paris Declaration, the Accra Agenda for Action and most recently, the Busan Partnership for Effective Development. Drawing on this framework, the second objective was to undertake a comparative analysis of aid transparency and accountability practices among two traditional and three emerging donors in three conflict-affected countries. The two traditional donors are Germany and the United States. The three emerging donors are Brazil, China, India. And the three conflict-affected countries where field research is conducted are Colombia, Liberia, and Sri Lanka. Under the organizational leadership of Transparency International (TI), this study was undertaken in collaboration with a team from the Hertie School, working on a complementary study in Nepal. All research and conclusions were guided by the following question: What are the accountability and transparency practices among selected traditional and emerging donor countries within the selected case study countries, and how do these practices compare to existing internationally recognized frameworks?