Social Justice in an Open World: The Role of the United Nations
cies are also to provide development assistance, but an increasing proportion of this support is to be given to least developed countries. Developing countries, for their part, have to improve levels of organization and efficiency in their domestic affairs. Good governance is an essential condition for development. It is normally associated with the practice of democracy and with respect for human rights. Unless otherwise indicated, good governance is understood as the authority exercised by institutions that operate according to the rule of law, that are not corrupt, and that facilitate the free exercise of private initiative by both domestic and foreign sources. The central role of private initiative and of the private sector is emphasized in the eighth Millennium Development Goal. The private sector is a partner in development on par with States. This conception of international justice, which essentially amounts to fair competition and an element of solidarity with, or even charity for, the poorest and weakest countries, not only reflects the dominant political culture, but is also consistent with a deeply ingrained current of thought among the intellectual and political elites of developing countries. This current of thought reflects long-standing concerns that centre around the issue of national pride. Countries compelled to accept aid may experience humiliation and a sense of obligation to donors. Moreover, assistance always comes with conditions. It does not really matter that these conditions have changed from requiring that the financial aid be used for importing material and goods from the donor to stipulating that recipients must hold elections or guarantee human rights. In some respects, the latter are even more intolerablethan the former. They represent an interference in domestic affairs that is more intrusive than the traditional mercantile arrangements of former colonizers. Frequently, they reflect a double standard and a certain amount of hypocrisy. From a pragmatic perspective, external aid in all its forms is ultimately ineffective and detrimental to the fabric of society. It prevents the emergence of responsibility, initiative, entrepreneurship, and other values and practices that are indispensable to the development of any society. What developing countries really need is access to international markets for their products and global freedom of movement for their people. It would be difficult to attribute even part of the success of those countries that are making great economic strides and gaining respect in the international arena to the provision of traditional bilateral or multilateral aid and assistance. From this perspective, the eighth Millennium Development Goal represents a step in the right direction, which is expunging all traces of paternalistic assistance from the notions of international justice and international cooperation.
4.5 Critical views on the prevalent conception of internationaljustice From another perspective, it may be argued that while the United Nations, in conceiving this "global partnership for development", is indeed in step with the domi-