Norm sedimentation in international institutions: Liberal and colonial norms underpinning OECD aid statistics

Up until today, OECD rules allow colonial powers to count transfers to their remaining overseas territories as official development assistance (ODA). We systematically quantify this under-researched practice– not to be conflated with aid to former colonies – from 1960 until 2022. The quantitative analysis is complemented by a review of ODA peer reviews, which reveals the normalization of such transfers. To analyse this, we propose the concept of norm sedimentation defined as the coexistence within an international organisation of norms based on contradictory values, de facto without competition. This concept allows for a study of inert and naturalized norms and norms other than the liberal, which have often been in focus. The lecture concludes by discussing the consequences, which include perpetuating colonial understandings of the metropoles’ limited responsibilities for their colonial subjects.