BHOS-beleidsnota
Reactie
| Naam | MSI Reproductive Choices (Ms Bethan Cobley) |
|---|---|
| Plaats | UK |
| Datum | 30 maart 2022 |
Vraag2
Nederland kent een lange traditie van publieke private samenwerking. Nu de mondiale uitdagingen steeds groter worden, is het van belang deze publiek-private samenwerkingen te verdiepen en te versnellen. De duurzame ontwikkelingsdoelen zijn in 2015 vastgesteld als actieplan voor overheden, bedrijven, kennisinstellingen en burgers om duurzame ontwikkeling te verwezenlijken wereldwijd.2. Hoe kunnen overheid, bedrijfsleven en kennisinstellingen beter samenwerken om de duurzame ontwikkelingsdoelen te halen?
(EN)
The Netherlands has a long tradition of public-private partnership. As the global challenges grow ever bigger, it is important to deepen and accelerate these partnerships. The Sustainable Development Goals were presented in 2015 as a plan of action for governments, companies, knowledge institutions and private individuals to achieve sustainable development worldwide.
2. How can government, the private sector and knowledge institutions work together better to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals?
* The Government of the Netherlands has always prioritised partnership with CSO’s and other organisations, leading change and innovation within its development co-operation and this has complemented the efforts of other European donors. We would like to see this commitment to partnership continue within this policy, with specific prioritisation for the Netherlands acting as a global convener and advocate to respond to the rising opposition to gender equality, human rights and SRHR that we are seeing globally.
* Civil society partnerships are essential for delivering the SDGs and civil spaces should be protected, with investment where appropriate, and should be recognised as a fundamental feature of a well-governed nation.
* Countries will meet neither international nor national commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on poverty alleviation, health, and gender equality, unless we invest in partnerships with multiple actors (government, private sector, CSOs etc) that are supporting and providing reproductive choice for women and girls to capture the opportunities afforded by the demographic dividend, particularly in Africa, over the next five years.
* Access to SRHR (including access to modern contraception and to safe, legal abortion) provides transformational benefits to women, families, communities, and countries by helping countries to realise a ‘demographic dividend.’ This is a boost in economic productivity that occurs by harnessing the energy and creativity of younger people. It occurs when there are fewer births each year, growing numbers of young people in the workforce and falling numbers of dependents. With fewer people to support, a country has a window of opportunity for rapid economic growth if the right social, governance and economic policies are invested in. However, this does not happen automatically; access to SRHR services is needed to enable women and girls to fulfil their potential.
Vraag3
Nederland heeft sinds 2016 een actieplan beleidscoherentie voor ontwikkeling. Beleidscoherentie voor ontwikkeling heeft als doel om in niet-hulp (OS) beleid schade voor ontwikkelingslanden te verminderen en synergiën en samenwerking te versterken. Het Nederlandse actieplan is in 2018 herzien en geeft een overzicht van vijf Nederlandse beleidsthema’s die een invloed hebben op de ontwikkelingskansen in ontwikkelingslanden. Deze thema’s zijn: (1) het tegengaan van belastingontwijking/ontduiking, (2) ontwikkelingsvriendelijke handelsakkoorden, (3) een ontwikkelingsvriendelijk investeringsregime, (4) verduurzaming van productie en handel en (5) het tegengaan van klimaatverandering.3. Hoe kan de bovengenoemde Nederlandse inzet op beleidscoherentie voor ontwikkeling verder versterkt of verbeterd worden?
(EN)
The Netherlands has had an action plan on policy coherence for development since 2016. The aim of policy coherence is to reduce the negative effects on developing countries caused by policies in areas other than development, and to strengthen synergies and cooperation. The action plan, which was revised in 2018, identifies five Dutch policy themes that can enhance developing countries’ opportunities for development: (1) combating tax avoidance/evasion, (2) development-friendly trade agreements, (3) a development-friendly investment regime, (4) more sustainable production and trade, and (5) combating climate change.
3. How can the Netherlands’ efforts to achieve policy coherence for development be further strengthened or enhanced?
Coherence and co-operation are needed across all ministries to ensure agendas are also actively supporting the objectives of international development co-operation. The objectives of foreign trade and international development ought to be fully aligned, but should conflict arise, human rights, gender equality and poverty alleviation to be prioritised.
Global health security must be considered in a wider context than the international COVID-19 response. A strong health system is the foundation for global health security and for scaling up in the face of any future pandemic or other global health security challenges. It includes preventative care, and a focus on health inequalities to ensure access to the poorest and most marginalised and to end preventable deaths. All of this requires adequate SRHR services and a legal framework that facilitates safe, equitable access to sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion.
Vraag6
Samenwerking publiek-privaat en rol Midden en Klein Bedrijf (MKB)Een succesvolle aanpak op het gebied van internationale handel vraagt samenwerking tussen burgers, bedrijven, maatschappelijke organisaties en de overheid. Het is nuttig om aan te sluiten op de behoeftes van de markt. Waar zijn bedrijven (specifiek het MKB) mee geholpen om de exportkracht en innovatiekracht te vergroten?
6. Hoe kan de overheid het bedrijfsleven (specifiek het MKB) dat internationaal onderneemt (of dat zou willen) beter ondersteunen om zaken te doen in het buitenland?
a. Welke ondersteuning hebben bedrijven nodig om internationaal succesvol te zijn op terreinen van digitale innovatie (innovatiesamenwerking) en verduurzaming?
b. Voor handel met welke landen (of regio’s of markten) zou ondersteuning moeten zijn?
c. Wat zou de overheid op het gebied van handelsbevordering niet meer moeten doen?
(EN)
Public-private cooperation and role of SMEs
A successful approach to international trade requires cooperation between the public, companies, civil society and government. It is also useful to align with market demand. What would help companies, and SMEs in particular, to increase their export performance and innovative capacity?
6. How can the government better support companies (and SMEs specifically), that are doing or wish to do business abroad?
a. What type of support do companies need in order to achieve international success in the areas of digital innovation (innovation partnerships) and sustainability?
b. For what countries, regions or markets should the government provide private sector support?
c. What type of trade promotion activities should the government stop doing?
A trend which must not be overlooked in this new policy is adolescent engagement. Nearly half the world’s population is under 25 and, as the largest generation of young people in history (1.8 billion young people) approach their reproductive years, we need to better engage and ensure their participation in leadership, unleashing their potential through education to contribute to economic and social progress.
The policy government should consider providing private sector support to partners working in the health sector.
Government stewardship of the health system is critical to ensuring high quality and pro-poor delivery of healthcare through the private sector. However there is great potential for governments, with more support, to work with the private sector to expand the range and reach of services, improve quality and regulation, better integrate with public systems, improve affordability, and ultimately achieve national health and development goals.
Globally there is growing realisation that a fragmented approach to service delivery that segregates public and private sectors can create redundant systems, inefficiencies and missed opportunities for improved clinical quality. Whether for profit or not-for-profit, formal or informal, the private sector is rapidly becoming an important source of health care in the developing world. More and more people of all income levels are turning to the private sector for services. The World Bank estimates that in Africa alone, 50% of women from the bottom wealth quintile currently access healthcare from the private sector.
Vraag7
OntwikkelingssamenwerkingDevelopment cooperation
Nederlandse inzet op Ontwikkelingssamenwerking
Nederland is op verschillende thema’s actief op gebied van ontwikkelingssamenwerking. Zo investeren we in het realiseren van de Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) en zetten we extra in op opvang in de regio, toegang tot vaccins, klimaatadaptatie en -mitigatie. Nederland gaat door met wat goed gaat en focust op waar Nederland goed in is, zoals verbinding tussen diplomatie en ontwikkelingssamenwerking. Meer informatie over het ontwikkelingssamenwerkingsbeleid van Nederland is te vinden op www.nlontwikkelingssamenwerking.nl.
7. Waar is Nederland op het gebied van ontwikkelingssamenwerking volgens u goed in? Op welke thema’s zou Nederland een aanjagende rol kunnen vervullen?
(EN)
Dutch development cooperation activities
The Netherlands is actively pursuing a number of policy themes in the area of development cooperation. For example, we're investing in efforts to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reception in the region, access to vaccines, and climate adaptation and mitigation. The Netherlands will continue its efforts in areas where progress is being made and will focus on its strengths, such as linking diplomacy and development. For more information about Dutch development policy, go to www.nlontwikkelingssamenwerking.nl.
7. In your opinion, what are the Netherlands’ strengths when it comes to development cooperation? In which policy themes could the Netherlands play a leading role?
The Netherlands has been longstanding in its commitment to SRHR and gender equality recognising that both of these areas are a development ‘best buy’ in terms of lifting entire communities out of poverty and ensuring women and girls rights to bodily autonomy, education and socio economic opportunity. The Netherlands has long recognised that ensuring access and choice within SRHR is critical to the SDG and the ‘Leave No one Behind’ Agenda and we would like to see this commitment continue both in terms of development policy and accompanying financial commitments.
Vraag8
Innoveren op OSNederlandse internationale samenwerking is flexibel en kennisintensief, we zijn vernieuwend. Zo ontwikkelt Nederland nieuwe manieren van werken en partnerschappen die daarna door bijv. de Europese Commissie en Wereldbank worden opgepakt of opgeschaald. De Nederlandse internationale samenwerking fungeert dus veelal als een creatieve en kennisintensieve incubator (een broedplaats voor nieuwe ideeën. Nederland is een relatief kleine donor, maar als lidstaat van de EU en via bilaterale hulp kan Nederland de zichtbaarheid van EU-hulp vergroten en additionele relevante kapitaalstromen generen.
8. Op welke manier en op welk vlak kan de Nederlandse ontwikkelingssamenwerking nog meer innoveren?
(EN)
Innovative development cooperation
Dutch international cooperation is flexible and knowledge-intensive. We are also innovative, developing new ways of working and new types of partnership that are subsequently adopted or scaled up by others, like the European Commission and the World Bank. In this respect, Dutch international cooperation is like a creative and knowledge-intensive incubator. We are a relatively small donor, but as an EU member state and through bilateral aid we can make EU aid more visible and generate additional, relevant capital flows.
8. In what other ways and areas could Dutch development cooperation innovate more?
The Netherlands play a crucial role as global leaders on gender equality and SRHR with an effective approach that combines programme delivery focussing on the most marginalised communities, with supporting and upholding progressive global norms.
Research and development plays a critical role in the innovation process for most organisations and core funding from the Netherlands was crucial for not only funding our advocacy but also innovations in our evidence gathering.
Core Funding:
CSOs and health providers have shown dedication and commitment, in the face of covid, shifting global political trends, shrinking aid budgets and a rising opposition. Last year, the Guttmacher institute estimated that an additional 49 million women could face an unmet need for contraception due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, the pandemic has reportedly resulted in a global increase in gender-based violence and child marriage, and a global drop in women’s workforce participation and girls’ school enrolment. Funding to SRHR also took a double hit with UK aid cuts to service delivery and commodities.
We estimated that the impact of these cuts to UNFPA Supplies on our services alone, will leave an additional 6.5 million people without access. Unless MSI can close this funding gap, it estimates it will lead to an extra: 7m unintended pregnancies, 2m unsafe abortions and 23,500 maternal deaths. These impacts are potentially worse than the chilling effects of the GGR. Last year saw the Netherlands end core support to MSI indicating a preference for bilateral funding arrangements. We appreciate the efforts made at embassy level to engage with MSI, but we must emphasise that the withdrawal of support this makes planning and future proofing essential service delivery and advocacy extremely difficult, severely impacting on the sustainability of SRHR related interventions. Core funding to key partners such as MSI, enables programmes that are flexible, innovative and more sustainable. Short funding cycles do not encourage creativity or ensure sustainability of critical services.
Vraag9
Een donor met durfDe Nederlandse internationale inzet is gedurfd, omdat we financiële investeringen koppelen aan onze diplomatieke inzet en expertise. We continueren thema’s waar we traditionele meerwaarde hebben: seksuele en reproductieve rechten en gezondheid (SRGR), water, voedselzekerheid en veiligheid & rechtsorde. Daarbij kunnen we nog meer gebruik maken van het diplomatieke gewicht van o.a. de EU. We investeren in systeemverandering om te zorgen dat we de SDG’s in 2030 realiseren. Met systeemverandering bedoelen we dat we de systemen die armoede en ongelijkheid in stand houden aanpakken.
9. Op welke manier/welk vlak kan Nederland als donor nog meer durf te tonen?
(EN)
A bold donor
Dutch international efforts can be characterised as bold, because we link financial investment to diplomatic efforts and expertise. We will continue our work on themes where we have always added value: sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), water, food security, and security and the rule of law. We will also make better use of the diplomatic weight of the EU. To ensure we achieve the SDGs by 2030, we will invest in systemic change, i.e. tackling the structures that maintain poverty and inequality.
9. In what ways or areas could the Netherlands, as a donor, be even bolder?
As our work evolves within a shifting global landscape, SRHR organisations like ourselves are seeing the need for approaches to SRHR to be integrated in other adjacent themes within development cooperation. Areas which are often overlooked by traditional donor policy is the integration of SRHR into education, climate change and humanitarian responses. We would urge the Netherlands and other European governments to develop and prioritise financial commitments that take this wider, integrated approach, recognising the real and urgent need.