BHOS-beleidsnota
Reactie
| Naam | Ending Workplace TB (Matthew Oliver) |
|---|---|
| Plaats | Cambridge |
| Datum | 6 april 2022 |
Vraag1
(see english below)Nexus (samenhang) Ontwikkelingssamenwerking & Buitenlandse Handel
Het Nederlandse bedrijfsleven kan door middel van handel, investeringen en marktkracht een belangrijke rol spelen bij een aantal van de grote wereldwijde uitdagingen van deze tijd. Om de Nederlandse inzet richting het bedrijfsleven een focus mee te geven wordt gekozen voor een focus op de “twin-transities”; de digitale transitie (via onder meer artificiële intelligentie) en de verduurzamingtransitie. Deze twin-transities op digitale innovatie en verduurzaming zullen de komende jaren een grote rol spelen om de Parijs en Glasgow-doelen voor klimaat te halen. Die doelen moeten we in Nederland halen, maar ook wereldwijd. Hoewel er een grote behoefte is aan Nederlandse expertise en investeringen, zien we dat meer nodig kan zijn om het Nederlandse bedrijven te betrekken bij deze transities in (lage en) midden-inkomenslanden.
1. Hoe kan het Nederlandse bedrijfsleven meer betrokken worden bij de twin-transitie in (lage en) midden-inkomenslanden?
(EN)
Nexus between development cooperation and foreign trade
Through their trade, investment and market position, Dutch businesses can play a key role in tackling some of the major challenges facing the world today. The focus of Dutch policy vis-a-vis the private sector will be on the 'twin transitions' of digitalisation (including artificial intelligence) and sustainability – both of which will be key to achieving the Paris and Glasgow climate goals in the years ahead. We must achieve these goals not only in the Netherlands, but across the world as a whole. While Dutch expertise and investment funding are in great demand, we also see that more may be needed when it comes to getting Dutch companies involved in these transitions in low- and middle-income countries.
1. How can we increase the involvement of Dutch companies in the twin transitions in low- and middle-income countries?
The business community is an important constituency for any government but, traditionally, has focused its influence in relatively narrow areas of commercial policy (predominantly issues around regulation and taxation). The Dutch business community has a global reputation for being progressive on social responsibility and could be more vocal, allied with the Dutch government, around a wider range of social policies. This would be both in their own commercial interests and in the wider interests of their workers, suppliers, and communities.
For example, the impact of diseases on employee productivity is well-established both in literature and in real-world experience (COVID-19's impact on supply chains). However, in most countries, there is very little real-time, public data around rates of infection or outbreaks at a local level. A company, therefore, only gets information on health issues that may affect their employees when their employees become ill. Yet, relatively straightforward digital innovations would allow for spatial mapping of outbreaks in real-time and allow companies to adapt their in-house health policies (for example, mask wearing for COVID-19) to match. This has multiple benefits: giving public health agencies more ability to target their response, allowing the international community (where appropriate) to provide flexible support, enabling individuals and their families to protect their own health, and helping companies safeguard their operations.
As such, we would recommend that the Dutch business community, in partnership with Dutch authorities, identify a discrete number of policy or capability areas that would have these community, business, and individual benefits, and press for relevant changes - as well as, where appropriate, assisting with the development of these capabilities.
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?
A key aspect in any partnership is the alignment of mutual interest. The SDGs are widely recognised as the overarching development objectives, but in practice, their achievement is not always fully aligned with the incentives that drive business decisions. There are two specific ways that this alignment could be strengthened:
1) ESG and responsible investing principles have driven some progress, particularly in the field of carbon reporting. However, in health, progress has been much slower. Coordinated action is required across academia, business, and government to identify clear metrics that recognise the importance of ensuring a healthy workforce and supporting the health of surrounding communities. For example: there is no equivalent to carbon emissions for health outcomes. A set of measurable indicators around businesses impact on health would be a great step forward for the health-related SDGs (though may require more detailed data - see question 1 - around rates of key health issues in communities in which businesses are based).
2) Supply chain management - modern supply chains are highly complex and companies often have limited visibility into the practical implementation of suppliers' policies. This is seen most clearly in relation to tracking the labour practices or environmental practices that are used to generate commodities (for example: soy from the Amazon, or cobalt from DR Congo), but also applies to the way supplier companies manage the health of their workforce. How this would be done in practice, however, will require further innovation and collaboration across public and private sectors.
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?
Relating to points 2, 3 and 4, we would advocate that commitments to occupational health should be a component of trade agreements, helping to develop a more development-friendly investment regime and making production more sustainable.
Relatively few developing countries fully implement ILO recommendations on occupational health, and fewer have resources to enforce their own existing legislation. Yet, weak occupational health environments can lead to high rates of workplace transmission, stigma, and poor standards of care. All of which contribute to higher overall rates of disease. The Dutch commitment to policy coherence should align trade and investment related agreements with health outcomes in the business sectors that are affected by those same agreements. Dutch institutions also have a great deal of expertise in occupational health and could play an key role to help strengthen partner-country occupational health authorities (for example, assisting with a process for contact tracing in the event of an outbreak of disease in a commercial entity).
Vraag4
Buitenlandse HandelInternationale handel en investeringen zijn van groot belang voor de Nederlandse welvaart en werkgelegenheid. De Nederlandse welvaart wordt voor een derde verdiend door internationale handel en een derde van onze banen zijn verbonden aan internationale handel. Onze internationale concurrentiepositie is onderhevig aan de “twin-transities” (digitalisering/innovatie en klimaat/duurzaamheid) en verschuivende geopolitieke verhoudingen. Het is voor Nederland van groot belang om het verdienvermogen te versterken nu en in de toekomst.
Strategisch en duurzaam handelsbeleid
In anticipatie op de geopolitieke en transitie-ontwikkelingen sturen ook buitenlandse staten sterker op hun nationale en internationale beleid. Zo passen staten in toenemende mate assertievere economische diplomatie toe en zetten zij economische machtsinstrumenten in om hun internationale doelen na te jagen. Nederland kan hierin niet achter blijven. De verwevenheid van ons land met de rest van de wereld is groter en kwetsbaarder dan ooit. Als onderdeel van een samenhangend buitenland beleid, zal Nederland zich toeleggen op een strategisch en duurzaam handelsbeleid.
4. Hoe kan de overheid het duurzame verdienvermogen van Nederlandse bedrijven in het buitenland versterken?
Foreign trade
International trade and investment are crucial to prosperity and jobs in the Netherlands. International trade accounts for a third of our national income and is linked to a third of our jobs. But our international competitiveness faces risks posed by the twin transitions (digitalisation/innovation and climate/sustainability) and the shifting geopolitical balance of power. It is therefore vital for the Netherlands to strengthen its earning capacity, both now and in the future.
Strategic and sustainable trade policy
Other states are also anticipating the above-mentioned transitions and geopolitical shifts, and are adjusting their national and international policies accordingly, for instance by pursuing their international objectives through more aggressive economic diplomacy and the use of economic instruments of power. The Netherlands cannot afford to fall behind. Our country’s interconnections with the rest of the world are both greater and more fragile than ever. The Netherlands will therefore focus on strategic and sustainable trade policy as part of its coherent foreign policy.
4. How can the government strengthen Dutch companies’ sustainable earning capacity abroad?
All companies need a 'social license to operate'. Companies with a strong record in human rights, paying a reasonable wage, and looking after the environment are those that are most likely to maintain their brands and be deeply embedded in local communities. The Dutch government can support by using its considerable diplomatic network to facilitate and develop opportunities to showcase Dutch business leadership on issues of social responsibility, for example, by convening senior business leaders from Dutch companies and locally leading companies to drive forward collaborations on issues like workplace health, such as multi-company screening or awareness initiatives around respiratory diseases like TB.
Vraag5
Thema’s en sectoren van de toekomstNu de wereld in transitie is om een goede toekomst voor ons en de generaties na ons te bewerkstelligen verandert de focus van bedrijven, overheid en kennisinstellingen.
5. Op welke thema’s of sectoren ziet u kansen om internationaal te ondernemen?
(EN)
Themes and sectors of the future
The focus of companies, governments and knowledge institutions is changing in light of the global transition to ensure a bright future for current and future generations.
5. In which themes or sectors do you see opportunities for international enterprise?
NA (we do not have sufficiently relevant expertise to answer this question).
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?
NA (we do not have sufficient expertise to answer this question).
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 is good at policy coherence, agility, and deploying its excellent diplomats to push forward international agendas. In this context, there are two specific ways that the Netherlands could play a stimulating role:
1) Deploy its network of diplomats and equally strong international business community to champion global health, and in particular the effort to get the major epidemics back-on-track following the COVID-19 pandemic. This will require a major effort, but there is a specific niche around catalysing and activating the private sector - which is more aware than ever of the importance of the health of their employees to the good operations of their business - to develop programmes with a target of eliminating respiratory disease transmission in the workplace and support local community health.
2) In 2023, the United Nations General Assembly will hold a High-Level Meeting on Global Tuberculosis. Given the rich background of the Netherlands in TB (continuing to this day through KNCV) and the strength of its diplomatic networks, the Netherlands could play a leading role in ensuring those negotiations result in a progressive declaration with strong accountability. We would like to encourage the government of the Netherlands to consider putting itself forward as a co-facilitator, or, if this is not possible, to coordinate negotiations on behalf of the EU.
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?
As outlined in the question, Dutch development cooperation is very good at leveraging smaller resources for bigger impact by working in partnerships. In a response to a previous question we have touched on the importance of aligning incentives. As previously referenced, Dutch development cooperation could innovate by:
1) Supporting efforts to develop robust ESG investment metrics around health and championing their use, and similar initiatives around supply chain management.
2) Pushing for a more progress enabling legislative environment for occupational health in low- and middle-income countries and supporting the upskilling of occupational health authorities.
In addition, there are two broader areas where an agile development agency could have outsized impact:
1) Incentivising the use of networked diagnostics to provide real-time information on screening, diagnosis, and platform utilisation. This would require anonymised data to protect patient confidentiality (in some jurisdictions, spatial mapping of disease incidence is conducted as the postal code level to protect individual anonymity). A donor could, for example, partner with a National TB Programme and offer relatively small sums of money to support roll-out, training and use of networking software, implementation of real-time spatial mapping, as well as small sums to incentivise and reward clinics that have high utilisation rates.
2) Identifying, and subsequently funding, programming which sits at the overlap of pandemic preparedness and endemic disease care and prevention. For example, any future pandemics of true global relevance are likely to be respiratory (as these are hard to prevent spreading) and so systems for diagnosing as-yet-unidentified respiratory pathogens like X-rays could be both an important first line of defence against a future pandemic and help dramatically expand availability of screening for other respiratory issues day-to-day.
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?
COVID-19 demonstrated that the workplace is a prime location for the spread of infectious diseases, not least because most countries that could closed their workplaces for at least some period. A location that is critical for the spread of infectious diseases is also critical for the prevention of it, not just for workers, but also for their families and communities. Some companies have recognised their responsibility, and their self-interest, in tackling disease spread in workplaces but overall the private sector has not recognised its systemic role in the ongoing transmission on respiratory pathogens, nor been incentivised to take action in their workplaces, supply chains, and communities.
Some stakeholders (and shareholders) would see a push for business to play a more proactive role in addressing infectious issues in their workplaces, supply chains, and communities as an additional, unwarranted business expense. However, the current situation is that a small minority of companies are currently taking steps, and incurring the associated costs, of their own volition whilst competitors escape with doing much less and contributing to ongoing chains of transmission.
The Netherlands, with its strong history in TB, a powerful and progressively minded business sector, an excellent diplomatic network, and deep commitment to labour rights, is uniquely situated to drive the systemic change needed to end workplace transmission of disease through the range of actions proposed elsewhere in this consultation response, but specifically:
- Supporting the development and implementation of ESG and supply chain management metrics and frameworks that incentivise companies to prioritise workplace health.
- Pushing for the development of more robust occupational health policies through bilateral diplomatic arrangements, and supporting the strengthening of occupational health authorities (including in doing contact tracing).
- Drawing together the pandemic preparedness and existing epidemic control programmes.
- Working with countries to build real-time, spatially mapped, disease information to allow all stakeholders to drive a more agile, coordinated response.
- Deploying its business and diplomatic networks to drive leadership on workplace health, particularly around infectious disease transmission.
- Championing all of the above by playing a leading role in the organisation and successful conclusion of the 2023 High-Level Meeting on Global TB.
Vraag10
Afrondende algemene vraag10. 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?
NA