The catch-22 in pre-set budgetary allocations: the case of 2001 Abuja Declaration

Abstract

The concept of pre-set national budgets is gaining significance worldwide. In pre-setting budgets, policy-makers recommend budgetary allocations' percentages for certain tasks. In this paper a review of the Abuja Declaration of 2001 in which African Union countries' pledged to allocate at least 15% of annual budget towards improving the health sector is done. By 2010, only one country had implemented the requirement. Several had moved slightly towards the target whilst others had, as if in protest, reduced their health sector allocations. Accordingly, this paper interrogates the pre-set budget phenomenon in the context of standardisation exposing its implications to the legislative role, countries' priorities, among other things with the understanding of universalism and relativism precepts of international human rights law. Findings, point to the erosion of state sovereignty on one side whilst on the other signal the commitment to regularise states' approaches to fundamental drivers of pertinent developmental goals.