Kommunal handels- och biståndspolitik? Hur kan vi förklara att kommuner väljer att arbeta med Fairtrade City?

Sammanfattning: This thesis sets out to answer (1) why the Swedish municipalities of Malmö and Lund choose to become certified as Fairtrade Cities, that is; to adopt and promote Fair Trade regulations as stipulated by the Fairtrade Labelling Organization International, and (2) whether or not municipalities are morally entitled to strive to promote such regulations. In two case studies, interviews with representatives from Malmö and Lund revealed three main reasons for the municipalities to be certified as Fairtrade Cities; (1) it facilitates their ambitions to comply with conventions stipulated by the International Labour Organization, (2) Fair Trade is, contrary to what have been claimed by other actors, not aid and does therefore not fall outside of the mandate of the municipalities (according to Swedish law) and, (3) it promotes long term change of norms, thereby gradually creating a more just ethos among citizens. These three answers are carried on to the second part of the thesis were the normative aspects are discussed. Relying on John Rawls concept of a veil of ignorance, it is argued that the Fair Trade regulations ought to be regarded as morally binding rather than as optional, and hence that any political authority are morally justified in promoting these regulations.