Vernieuwd Beleid Buitenlandse Handel en Ontwikkelingssamenwerking

Reactie

Naam	International Alert (Ms. J Hartog)
Plaats	London, UK
Datum	20 maart 2018

Vraag1

Voorkomen van conflict en instabiliteit

Nederland richt zich op het voorkomen van conflicten en het aanpakken van grondoorzaken van instabiliteit in de fragiele regio’s rond Europa. De nadruk ligt hierbij op ‘legitieme stabiliteit’. Sociale cohesie tussen bevolkingsgroepen is daarvoor nodig en burgers die bestaande structuren en instituties erkennen. Een stabiele omgeving waarin mensen zich veilig voelen is een voorwaarde voor duurzame ontwikkeling.

Daarnaast geeft het kabinet prioriteit aan het versterken van bescherming en opvang van ontheemden in de regio. Nederland heeft oog voor de nood in de wereld en de hulp aan vluchtelingen zal dan ook worden verhoogd. De Nederlandse inzet zal naast directe noodhulp meer dan voorheen ook gericht zijn op weerbaarheid, preventie en toegankelijkheid. Nederland draagt bij aan noodhulp via professionele humanitaire organisaties van de VN, het Rode Kruis en de Dutch Relief Alliance en geeft daarbij gehoor aan specifieke oproepen van de VN voor bijdragen aan langdurige crises zoals in Syrië, Irak, Jemen, de Hoorn van Afrika, de Sahel en het Grote Merengebied.

Vraag 1: Hoe kan Nederland (overheid, bedrijfsleven, sociale ondernemingen, maatschappelijk middenveld, kennisinstellingen) op de thema´s voorkomen van conflicten en instabiliteit, opvang in de regio en noodhulp meer resultaten bereiken?

o The Dutch government should build on its conflict sensitivity efforts, ensuring that all development assistance provided avoids making conflict worse and seeks to promote stability alongside poverty alleviation. More than 50% of the world’s poor live in fragile states and this is growing. The UN and World Bank have said in their Pathways for Peace report that there is no linear relationship between more development and growth and more peace and stability without deliberately adapting aid programming. It may require strengthening capacity of embassies and partners to do this on an ongoing basis, as it has done for example with the embassy in South Sudan.
o The Dutch government could look at options to develop its own version of the bill that has just been introduced into the US congress that will require the US government to come up with an overall strategy designed to address the root causes of conflict in 10 countries over 10 years. This is a serious commitment which recognises the complexities of addressing structural drivers of conflict and the time it takes to do so. Other models could include the creation of a root causes funding pool or flagship partnership with a key multilateral partner.
o The EU is about to renegotiate its multi annual financial framework. The Netherlands should play a key role in ensuring that it is consistent with its policy objectives around addressing root causes of instability. Although the EU’s Global strategy references dealing with the root causes of conflict, it is not deeply embedded. Member states need to ensure that peacebuilding resources under the Instrument contributing to Peace and Stability are sustained and preferably increased and that DEVCO and ECHO are incentivised to better integrate conflict sensitivity into their programming to both reduce poverty AND contribute to stability.
o Where the Netherlands is engaged in stabilisation policy and programming it could lead the field in understanding how stabilisation can better link with longer term transformation activities. The current model in Mosul could be built upon, whereby upfront community dialogue had the immediate effect of reducing violence while also setting the scene for reconciliation in the longer term. There are opportunities to adapt stabilisation reconstruction efforts in ways that begin to set the scene for a transformational impact. Encouraging the EU implement its new Stabilisation Concept with this approach in mind could be catalytic.

Vraag3

Verminderen van armoede en ongelijkheid

We zien de resultaten van de wereldwijde samenwerking: extreme armoede en honger zijn teruggedrongen; kindersterfte neemt af en we worden ouder dan ooit. Een historisch aantal kinderen gaat naar school. Dat is te danken aan economische ontwikkeling, ontwikkelingssamenwerking en wetenschappelijke vooruitgang. Maar economische ongelijkheid neemt tegelijkertijd toe.

Daarnaast staan, na een periode van bijna wereldwijde versterking van fundamentele rechten, democratie en vrijheden in veel landen onder druk. De vorderingen op het gebied van gelijke rechten en kansen voor vrouwen zijn traag en beperkt. Organisaties die opkomen voor mensenrechten en rechten van minderheden lopen op veel plaatsen gevaar. Het ontwikkelingsperspectief van landen, met name in Sub-Sahara Afrika, wordt uitgehold door een vicieuze cirkel van instabiliteit, bevolkingsgroei, werkloosheid (met name onder jongeren) en klimaatverandering. Deze trends vormen een bedreiging voor de sociale samenhang in meerdere landen, en voor Nederland.

Nederlandse ontwikkelingssamenwerking richt zich momenteel op voedselzekerheid en landbouw, water; seksuele en reproductieve gezondheid en rechten (bijvoorbeeld voorbehoedsmiddelen, veilige abortussen), en veiligheid en rechtsorde. Zoals ook in het regeerakkoord wordt aangekaart zal het vernieuwde beleid een grotere nadruk leggen op het aanpakken van onderliggende oorzaken van instabiliteit, armoede, ongelijkheid en irreguliere migratie, met een extra aandacht voor de meest kwetsbaren zoals vrouwen en kinderen.

Vraag 3: Welke nieuwe aandachtsgebieden zou het kabinet kunnen identificeren? De middelen zijn beperkt dus we moeten kiezen, daarom ook aan u de vraag: welk aandachtsgebied behoeft minder nadruk?

While it may be possible to identify new ‘areas’ it may be more helpful to apply a new filter across all the government’s work. If the Netherlands wants to increase its efforts to address the root causes of instability, poverty, inequality and migration then it needs the flexibility to identify what those are and then respond to them in each context and promote adaptive programming as contexts evolve. Factors and responses to drivers will differ from country to country, region to region but common factors include political, social and economic exclusion. These could represent lenses that overlay and inform the current thematic investments. If aid, trade and investments are not contributing or indeed working against these factors then the government is probably not addressing issues of instability in its target countries. A practical way to do this would be to integrate a peacebuilding approach into all country and regional strategies and ensure that a conflict sensitive approach is applied to all interventions and engagements in fragile and conflict-affected states.
o Closing civil society space is an indicator of future conflict and instability. The Netherlands should integrate this into its early warning mechanisms and take it into consideration in its diplomatic and development relationships.

Vraag5

Verduurzamen

De Nederlandse inzet voor de mondiale verduurzaming van productie, handel en investeringen (SDG8 en SDG12) ligt op het snijvlak van buitenlandse handel en ontwikkelingssamenwerking. De grootste uitdagingen op het gebied van sociale en ecologische verduurzaming van productieprocessen liggen in ontwikkelingslanden. Om duurzame inclusieve markten te creëren zijn partnerschappen van bedrijfsleven, maatschappelijke organisaties, kennisinstellingen en de overheid nodig (SDG17).

Vraag 5: Waar liggen volgens u kansen om in productie, handel en investeringen vooruitgang te boeken op maatschappelijke uitdagingen op sociaal vlak (zoals betere arbeidsomstandigheden, hogere lonen, extra kansen voor vrouwen en jongeren) of op ecologisch vlak (zoals water, klimaat, biodiversiteit)?

Economic exclusion is a key driver of conflict in a number of settings, Syria being one of the prime examples, but also more stable but nevertheless fragile states such as Tunisia and Nigeria. Any investments supported by the Dutch government should have clear strategies on how it will promote increased economic inclusion that could both benefit the target groups described in the question as well as reinforce a central component of more peaceful and prosperous societies. To do this those engaged in trade and investment need to be supported with the appropriate tools to ensure that their efforts deliver on this potential, including through the application of conflict sensitive business practice which would flag any issues that could result in grievances. The right kind of economic inclusion must link to long term stability determined by analysis before an intervention or investment begins. The traditional job development and training types of initiatives often result in a high level of frustration when in the end, the economy is unable to absorb the new capacity. Determining the right / best options depends on the context. At the same time, investments must be balanced with the protection of the environment now and for future generations.

Vraag6

Eerlijke handel

In het regeerakkoord staat dat het kabinet actief zal inzetten op eerlijke vrijhandel, exportbevordering en handelsverdragen, die rekening houden met VN-standaarden en rechtszekerheid.

Vraag 6: Heeft u concrete suggesties voor hoe het kabinet kan bevorderen dat internationale handel en investeringen bijdragen aan de Duurzame Ontwikkelingsdoelen?

o The government should work with and perhaps require Dutch companies to apply a conflict sensitive business approach to their investments throughout the value chain, especially in fragile states. This would be a first for a government internationally! This means helping companies avoid exacerbating conflict (i.e. managing risk) as well as seeking to where possible reinforce the factors that contribute to peace. Such an approach will provide insights on how investments can avoid negative impacts on the ecosystem and ensure inclusive economic development. This will help achieve SDG16, but it will also contribute to other SDGs, for example those related to inclusive economic development.
o The Netherlands should strategically leverage its trade relationships to incentivise conflict-affected states as well as, to the extent possible, other investors such as the Chinese government to address root causes of conflict such as economic and political exclusion. This will again contribute to SDG16.
o The government should work with its multilateral partners such as IFC, IMF and regional development banks to ensure that their interventions are conflict sensitive and support Dutch priorities related to addressing root causes of conflict.

Vraag8

Excellente dienstverlening

Dit kabinet wil een proactieve handelsagenda presenteren om bedrijven en kennisinstellingen te helpen toegang te krijgen tot markten die voor hen belangrijk zijn. Dat lukt alleen met excellente economische dienstverlening en diplomatie en een actieve handelspolitiek. Elke ondernemer die wil internationaliseren moet kunnen rekenen op steun van de overheid op het gebied van informatie- en advies, financiering en dienstverlening wereldwijd.

Vraag 8: Hoe kan het bedrijfsleven en in het bijzonder het MKB op alle noodzakelijke punten beter worden ondersteund in het traject van internationalisering, en op welke markten verdient dit een extra steun in de rug?

o The government could develop conflict sensitive business practice guidance and establish an advisor clearing house for companies intending to invest in fragile or conflict affected countries in order to help companies better manage risk and where possible contribute to stability. SME’s have more limited resources than multinationals so will not be able to properly manage risk without support, threatening their return on investment and the Dutch business community’s reputation.
o The government could link Dutch SMEs to local business in fragile states that have the right set of skills to support the development of SMEs in a specific context. The SMEs need to understand the context in which they are investing including the risk to the company and to the community before engaging. SMEs could value from expertise support in conducting a context analysis, in manoeuvring through the complexities of the country’s formal and informal legal structures and support in engaging with local communities to ensure long-term stability in the context.

Vraag9

Tot slot

Vraag 9: Heeft u naast uw inbreng op bovenstaande vragen nog andere aanbevelingen op het gebied van Buitenlands handel en Ontwikkelingssamenwerking?

o From a peacebuilding and stability perspective the focus of the government on the ‘Ring of Europe’ holds a risk. It can hamper developing an understanding and addressing root causes of migration and displacement which tend to be related to conflicts, poverty and inequality in countries further away from Europe. The government should ensure that sufficient resources remain available to contribute to stability and prosperity elsewhere.
o The government should be a champion of the implementation of the recommendations under the UNSG’s sustaining peace agenda. Ensuring that the UNPBSO has adequate resources to execute the UNSG’s plan will be essential. This means that funding for peacebuilding has to increase, not as an alternative but complementary to humanitarian, development, stabilisation and military actions. Furthermore, as current member of the Security Council, the government could propose an international instrument that requires member states to report on their contributions to peacebuilding and preventive diplomacy.
o The government could explore the idea of a trade for peace and resilience plan. This would make the Netherlands a world leader and build synergies between the government’s trade and aid intentions of the new policy in leveraging business and trade as a means to promote increased stability and prosperity for all. Less conflict and more stability will increase trade opportunities for the Netherlands. Conflict costs the global economy 14.3 trillion or 11 times total foreign direct investment.
o The government should begin to report annually on the combined ‘peace impact’ of their diplomatic, development and security interventions. This would help incentivise individual ministries to pursue and prioritise approaches that address the root causes of instability and mark the Netherlands out as a world leader in promoting conflict resolution and prevention. It will also help the government promote greater cohesion between individual ministry efforts and identify gaps in approaches and overtime, enhance strategic policy and practice.
o Within the foreign ministry a pool of funding should be created to incentivise and assist embassies to properly adapt their programming so that it responds to the root causes of instability. This may include support for conflict analysis, technical assistance and support for catalytic activities to fill strategic gaps, for example in the capacity of partners to implement in a conflict sensitive way.