Between Principle and Practice examines the human rights diplomacy of Canada, the Netherlands, and Norway, all prosperous industrial democracies with an international reputation for protesting human rights abuses, from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. David Gillies reveals that even these countries are seldom prepared to sacrifice short-run economic or political interests to protest gross and systematic human rights abuses beyond their borders.

Based on case studies of five Third World countries - Sri Lanka, the Philippines, China, Indonesia, and Suriname - Gillies explores the extent to which policy principles were applied in practice, showing that consistent, coordinated, and principled action is elusive even for countries with a reputation for internationalism. He highlights the growing rift between North Atlantic democracies and emerging Asian economic powers, the effectiveness of using aid sanctions to defend human rights, and the vicissitudes of human rights programming in emerging democracies.

On a theoretical level, Gillies examines the explanatory power of political realism and the scope for ethical conduct in a world of states. Linking policy assertiveness with perceived costs to other national interests, he constructs a framework for analysing policy actions and applies it to his various case studies, concluding that when it comes to human rights the gap between principle and practice is still far too wide.