BHOS-beleidsnota

Reactie

Naam	VSO (Response VSO S Blom)
Plaats	Utrecht
Datum	14 april 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?

Public-private partnerships are key to achieving the SDGs. No actor alone can effectively facilitate sustainable development to take place. The Netherlands should build on its tradition of bringing a broad range of stakeholders together and finding common ground, it’s ‘poldermodel’. This should be central in our approach to achieving the SDGs. The question relates to government, industry and knowledge institutions working together. To which we would like to add the unique contribution of a vibrant and constructive-critical civil society. Because civil society plays a key role in this as well, as the actor responsible for holding the others to account and ensuring inclusion of the most marginalized and excluded. By being embedded in local communities and thus knowing the context well enough to develop solutions that work for all groups in societies, civil society and active citizenship are of pivotal importance. Active citizenship and volunteerism are crucial to achieving lasting sustainable development. Volunteering for development is a proven method that contributes to sustainable development through targeted and needs-based interventions by volunteers with contextual and required skills and capacities. An example is the cooperation between Randstad and VSO, where Randstad offers its employees the opportunity to contribute to VSO’s projects in Africa and Southeast Asia, mainly in field related to Human Resources, career guidance and job counselling. The UN recognized volunteerism as ‘a powerful and cross-cutting means of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the important role that volunteers play in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences’. Furthermore, in UNGA Resolution A/RES/75/233 the UN encouraged the ‘development system, in partnership with Member States, civil society and the private sector, to support such efforts and promote the conducive environment for volunteerism and volunteers to enhance the sustainability of development results.’ Volunteering contributes to inclusion, innovation, ownership, participation and inspiration. The Dutch policy for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation would thus benefit from strongly incorporating the elements of meaningful engagement of civil society, volunteers or other citizen action to put a strong societal foundation under its goals and to further enhance legitimacy.

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?

For this question, we refer to the Response of branch organization Partos and its advice around keeping the SDGs as central framework, further and more structural implementation of the SDG Toets, implementing national International CSR laws that are in line with the OECD Guidelines and the UN Guiding Principles on Responsible Business and Human Rights and taking serious action to align all government policies with the ambition of reducing CO2 emissions by 60% by 2030 and supporting an ambitious Fitfor55 climate change strategy at the EU level. Especially around global tax collection, major steps are required. Global tax abuse continues to hit lower income countries more severely than higher income countries. All tax revenue lost to governments cannot be spend on public services like education or health care. While higher income countries lose more tax in absolute number, their tax losses represent a smaller share of their revenues (9.7 per cent). Lower income countries in comparison collectively lose the equivalent of nearly half (48 per cent) of their public health budgets. The taxes that lower income countries lose would be enough to vaccinate 60 per cent of their populations, bridging the gap in vaccination rates between lower income and higher income countries .
To enhance coherence within the Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation policy, it is necessary that the Dutch government shows leadership around the kind of foreign trade we support and what kind we do not. Involving people in decisions that directly affect their lives and their opportunities for the future is key in this regard. In all government support we should aim to stimulate appropriate practices like decent work, sustainability of production and consumption, inclusion of marginalised people in business practices and (gender) equality. The Dutch government should emphasise just and equal trade and be transparent about the conditions required for its support, for example in terms of labour conditions and inclusion. For example, in agriculture, the Netherlands would benefit from taking a food systems approach. Only through a systematic approach in which all actors and factors around nature, agriculture, labour, and the environment are taking into account can we actually enhance sustainability and productivity of our food provision and reduce food insecurity.

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?

The government, through its policy for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, should support the business community by improving the business climate in which SMEs operate and investing in their access to skilled labour, knowledge, investments, innovative business practices and access to relevant stakeholders. The Dutch government has built its experience in supporting SMEs in its focus regions West Africa / Sahel, MENA, and the Horn of Africa to expand their businesses and attract skilled young talent and should maintain its focus on this region to build on its track record and experience. Civil society often possesses a lot of experience about how to support SMEs in their development through programmes around job creation, closing the skills gap, value chain development and management and leadership training. For example, VSO cooperates with Randstad and can tap from their specific knowledge about private sector development, HR, career development and counselling and inclusive selection processes for candidates, which in turn enriches their staff’s experience. Through Randstad volunteers, a lot of relevant knowledge exchange and capacity building in areas of (youth) employment, business development and growth takes place. The government should ensure that marginalised groups like PLWD, young women and/or LGBTQI can benefit. Participation of youth in developing and implementing the strategy is important to ensure government policy support solutions that are sustainable and future-proof.
To truly contribute to sustainable development in the societies these SMEs operate in, the government should also ensure that jobs that are created can be categorised as ‘decent work.’ For which we point to the ILO’s definition that ‘decent work sums up the aspirations of people in their working lives. It involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men.’ Ensuring living up to these principles not only provides a stronger business case for these SMEs, but also creates a larger (social) impact of the overall Dutch policy.

Vraag7

Ontwikkelingssamenwerking
Development 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 Strategic Partnerships in which CSOs are strengthened to lobby and advocate for social change, the innovative Challenge Fund for Youth Employment and the Civic Space Fund are clear examples of our innovative approach to development cooperation and Dutch strengths. With civic space under pressure around the world and the space for civil society and citizens to organise, speak out and hold powerholders to account shrinking rapidly, the counteractions the Dutch government is taking by supporting a solid and strong civil society are indispensable. Citizen action, mobilised groups and volunteers within society are essential counterfactors to governments and the private sector that need to be capacitated and enabled to share their voice. Models like VSO’s Volunteering for Development approach show the contribution of citizen action and activism on targeted sustainable development at the community level. Moreover, the Dutch support to universal SRHR enables hundreds of millions of women and men to live healthier lives. In this regard the Netherlands should value the contribution of community health volunteers that provide essential services on the ground and are an important spill in (global) health systems. Community health volunteers and their roles should be recognised more and their capacity should be enhanced to keep playing their vital role in reaching SDG3.
In recent years, the Netherlands has started taking steps to also tackle specific challenges related to creating better future prospects of young people. Every year about 12 million young people enter the labour market, but only 3.1 million jobs are created in the formal sector . In sub-Sahara Africa, 60% of the population is under 25 years old. Still, many companies indicate there is insufficient available staff with the right skills for the jobs, indicating a ‘skills gap’ . Societies can tap into the energy, ideas, and strengths of young people to develop sustainably. The Dutch government can support this by investing in the education that children and young people receive and ensure it is of good quality and is relevant for the future.

Vraag8

Innoveren op OS

Nederlandse 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?

Dutch development cooperation is a frontrunner and trailblazer for progressive innovative development cooperation. CIVICUS points out that at the year’s end [2021], some 87 per cent of the world’s population lived in countries with severe civic space restrictions’. The Netherlands should build on its relatively new and innovative approach of strengthening CSOs through Strategic Partnerships and try to engage other donors to take similar but complementary approaches. This way sustainable development in all fields will benefit from a stronger civil society with better access to relevant stakeholders and capacity to operate and hold governments accountable to delivering on their promises. The Netherlands should however enable the ‘shifting of power’ from Northern to Southern organisation to lead and decide on what is needed and allow a more flexible approach towards governance set-ups, budgeting and selection of strategic priorities. This requires trust and flexibility. We refer to the Dream paper developed by Partos in which concrete tools and advice is offered to shift the power and further decolonise aid .
In this light it is important to keep a broad definition of the civil society that is to be strengthened. Citizen action at the community level, youth groups and volunteers are also an important part of a vibrant and effective civil society. They possess the best understanding of the needs at the local level and on how to truly leave no one behind. ‘Young people in particular, having connected across borders and identities through social and mobile technology from an early age, are reproducing open and plural networking routines in real life.’, states CIVICUS . The Dutch government could consider an innovative youth volunteering programme for youth in which they participate in development programmes and companies operating internationally, which will build goodwill towards Dutch businesses and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs and countering shrinking civic space. In the UK, VSO has a broad range of experience showing that these types of programmes contribute a great deal to support for international and development cooperation.

Vraag9

Een donor met durf

De 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?

While the Netherlands is clearly a frontrunner and has taken many promising steps as a donor to reach the most marginalised and really leave no one behind, there are still major steps to take. Inclusion is currently not sufficiently embedded in the funding streams set up by the Netherlands. For example, only in 2% of the development programmes funded by the Dutch government, people living with disabilities (PLWD) can participate . Therefore, we urge the Netherlands to be courageous and brave and to adopt an Intersectional lens in all its policies for development cooperation. And to urge other international and EU-level donors to do the same. By adopting intersectionality as the lens through with the Dutch government analyses development challenges, we can ensure no one is left behind. Looking at multiple intersecting factors of someone’s identity that contribute to them being discriminated against or excluded is the best approach to ensuring nobody is excluded. In this regard, different types of analyses like a power analysis or a social exclusion and gender analysis (SEGA) are useful. VSO has experienced the contribution of an intersectional lens to strengthening inclusive lobby & advocacy and the added value for CSOs in its SRHR SP Make Way.
Intersectionality is a concept that is gaining importance and relevance within the international field of development and among donor(s) (countries). The private sector also increasingly sees the ‘business case’ for intersectionality , as was pointed out in a Deloitte study . While acknowledging there is still a world to win in this area and that it may not be an easy change process to go through. The Netherlands should not be afraid to take a leading role and steer donors yet again like the World Bank, European Union, and Foundations to embrace intersectionality. If we take our commitment to the SDGs seriously and our aim really is to tackle inequality, poverty, and injustice, adopting intersectionality is the right approach.

Vraag10

Afrondende algemene vraag

10. Heeft u nog andere punten van aandacht die u vindt dat meegenomen dienen te worden in de nieuwe beleidsnota?


(EN)
General closing question

10. Are there any other points that you believe should be included in the new policy document?

Young people have the right to decide how to shape their countries for the future. They know the challenges they face; they know what solutions work best. The Netherlands should thus build on its steps taken in the Youth@Heart strategy that has been developed, setting up a Youth Advisory Committee and other youth participation trajectories and further expand this throughout its policy for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. Education is an essential part of this strategy. It is a major factor in preventing terrorism, establishing strong democraties and tackling climate change. By keeping children in school, we prevent them from getting engaged in child labour. A specific gap is around access to green skills training. Technical and Vocational Education and Training centres are often insufficiently equipped to train on green skills. The Dutch government should invest in tackling this gap and enhance access of young people to green skills. And by doing so supporting a just transition and tackling climate change. For this point we also refer to the contribution to this consultation of the Global Campaign for Education Netherlands. The way in which Dutch TVETs cooperate with companies and create internships and work-based learning trajectories together to align education to the labour market can be an inspiration as well as an export product.
Development cooperation aims to shape a better future for future generations. For children and young people. For girls and boys with hopes and dreams unique to them. It is necessary that they have a say in what strategies, approaches, methods, and budgets we avail from the Netherlands to contribute to the sustainable development of their societies. Meaningful youth participation should therefore be at the heart of this policy. The Youth@Heart strategy that the Ministry formulated together with young people should remain at the centre of what the Netherlands does in the field of development cooperation, while ensuring the Youth@Heart Principles are lived up to. This means investments in the opportunities and prospects of young people through quality education, skills training and youth employment should be maintained and with input from youth itself be expanded and enhanced. Together with young people, the Netherlands can make a very relevant contribution to the SDGs and to improving their futures.

Bijlage