Policy Updates

On April 19, 2024, the Netherlands pledged EUR68 million (US$74 million) towards World Bank hybrid capital, which is expected to expand the bank’s lending capacity by over US$550 million over the next ten years for global public goods investment.

Dutch Ministers of Finance and Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher and Steven van Weyenberg announced the contribution to support low- and middle-income countries in financing the energy transition, biodiversity protection, and strengthening health systems to prevent future pandemics.

This commitment joins those of 10 other countries to boost the World Bank’s lending capacity, totaling US$11 billion and potentially providing up to US$70 billion in essential funds.

On April 15, 2024, at the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and Its Neighbors in Paris, France, the Netherlands announced a EUR10 million (US$11 million) contribution to support food assistance in Sudan through the WFP.

Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher emphasized the dire situation in Sudan, where 18 million people face acute hunger. Since the outbreak of war on April 15, 2023, warring parties have obstructed emergency assistance. At the time of the announcement, 8 million Sudanese were internally displaced, and 2 million have fled to neighboring countries.

The recent pledge supplements the Netherlands’ annual support of EUR55 million (US$60 million) to the UN CERF, which has allocated EUR35 million (US$38 million) annually for support to Sudan. The Netherlands has supported the reception of Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries as well as EU negotiations for a ceasefire and sanctions against warring parties.

On April 12, 2024, the Royal House of the Netherlands announced that as of April 15, 2024, Liesje Schreinemacher will return from maternity leave and resume her role as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.

Schreinemacher started her maternity leave on December 4, 2023. Since then, Geoffrey van Leeuwen has temporarily taken on the role of Minister.

On April 12, 2024, outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced that the Netherlands will make another EUR1.4 billion (US$1.5 billion) available this year to support Ukraine against Russia’s attacks and its recovery efforts.

Rutte announced that EUR1 billion (US$1.1 billion) will be available for military support and EUR400 million (US$435 million) to bolster Ukraine’s economy and for vital repairs to energy infrastructure.

This commitment is in addition to the EUR2 billion (US$2.2 billion) that the Netherlands committed to Ukraine in the form of a guarantee on February 9, 2024.

Rutte further stated that the Ministers of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, and Finance agreed to make EUR3 billion (US$3.3 billion) available for military support in 2025.

On April 11, 2024, development association Partos criticized the newly released 2023 Dutch ODA numbers published by the OECD and argued for more stable, predictable ODA to help achieve the SDGs.

Partos noted that the Netherlands does not meet the internationally agreed-upon norm of 0.7% ODA/GNI. In addition, the numbers show that in 2023, 17.7% of the Dutch ODA went towards hosting asylum seekers in the Netherlands.

Partos argued that with this approach to ODA, the Netherlands risks its international reputation, influence, and economic interests, as they consider development cooperation essential to creating trust and positive relationships with other countries. The organization noted that without sufficient, stable funding, the Netherlands is unlikely to reach its development objectives.

Partos called on four political parties that are currently negotiating to form a new government coalition: the nationalist, right-wing populist PVV, the conservative-liberal VVD, the Christian Democratic NSC, and the right-wing populist BBB. Partos advocated that these parties to strengthen the Netherlands’ position in international fora and ensure a stable and predictable ODA to contribute to a world with equal opportunities and stability for all.

On April 4, 2024, the Dutch House of Representatives debated the Dutch Global Health Strategy, 18 months post-publication. Despite recent development budget cuts, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Geoffrey van Leeuwen and Minister for Medical Care Pia Dijkstra affirmed broad support for the strategy.

The strategy aims to strengthen global health systems, tackle health impacts of climate change, and prepare against future pandemics. CSOs and members of Parliament expressed concerns in relation to the previously announced development budget cuts of EUR3.5 billion (US$3.8 billion) over 2023-2026, as detrimental to effective implementation of the strategy.

van Leeuwen and Dijkstra reiterated their commitment to the strategy, emphasizing the strategy’s broader goals, including safeguarding the Netherlands’ own health and economic stability.

Emphasis during the debate centered on sexual health and SRHR and access to basic health care to uphold human rights and gender equality, urging sustained strategic partnerships. Focusing on access to medicines, Dijkstra agreed to re-examine the Socially Responsible Licensing toolkit to include how private companies can enhance accessibility and affordability of medicines for people in low-income countries.

Members of Parliament inquired about strategy implementation and monitoring. van Leeuwen committed to providing progress reports to the House of Representatives by year-end, along with policy coherence updates on the Dutch Global Health Strategy and ecological footprint reduction commitments by May 15, 2024.

On April 2, 2024, the Netherlands, Ukraine, and the European Commission hosted the international Restoring Justice for Ukraine conference in The Hague. Ministers from 57 countries reviewed progress in investigating and prosecuting Russian crimes, pledging to compensate victims.

The conference accessed the efforts of over 60 countries in the past two years towards achieving justice. The same day, the Register of Damage for Ukraine opened for claim submissions. In her closing remarks, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Hanke Bruins Slot announced that more than 100 claims were filed.

The Netherlands spearheaded advancements on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace plan, garnering a political declaration from 44 countries to intensify joint efforts for justice and pursue the establishment of a special tribunal.

The Netherlands has committed EUR10 million (US$11 million) to support Ukraine with investigation and prosecution of war crimes. Minister Bruins Slot additionally expressed willingness for the Netherlands to conditionally host the special tribunal, facilitating a mechanism for war damages compensation.

On March 28, 2024, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs committed EUR50 million (US$54 million) for the launch of PROSPECTS 2.0 in Kenya to promote socio-economic integration between refugees and host communities in Kakuma, Kalobeyei, Dabaab, and urban areas.

The project marks phase 2, spanning from 2024-2027, of the original PROSPECTS Partnership initiated by the Netherlands in 2019. According to the International Finance Corporation Africa, PROSPECTS 2 will focus on four key areas:

• Education and learning;
• Economic inclusion;
• Child protection and social protection; and
• Critical infrastructure.

This partnership involves partners from the humanitarian, development, and private sectors, including the World Bank, UNHCR, UNRWA, UNICEF, ILO, the Government of Kenya’s Ministry of Interior and National Administration, and the County Governments of Turkana and Garissa.

From March 26-March 28, 2024, the Netherlands and the UN held the first International Conference of Prosecutors on Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in the Peace Palace in The Hague.

Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Hanke Bruins Slot emphasized that this topic is a priority for Dutch feminist foreign policy. Bruins Slot opened the conference with UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten. In her speech, Bruins Slot noted how sexual violence is used as a weapon of war in many conflicts, like in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Israel, Ukraine, Haiti, Nigeria, Sudan, Syria, and Iraq. Yet, ensuring accountability for such crimes remains difficult, underscoring the need for partnerships with other countries and organizations like the ICC.

Public prosecutors from more than 50 countries attended the conference to support efforts to research and prosecute conflict-related sexual violence. The conference marked the start of a 'community of practice' to further expand the collaboration.

On March 20, 2024, the EU and the Belgian Council presidency announced a joint contribution of EUR14 million (US$15 million) for the African Medicines Agency and launched three global health partnership programs.

The support, announced at the high-level event on EU – AU partnership on Global Health for equitable access, comprised EUR10 million (US$11 million) from the Commission and EUR4 million (US$4 million) from Belgium. The support aims to advance the establishment of the African Medicines Agency, particularly as an end to strengthening vaccine production and health innovation.

In addition, the event marked the launch of three Team Europe initiatives on:

• Sustainable Health Security, which aims to increase PPR among African partner countries, with a specific focus on AMR and other infectious diseases, and will receive EUR128 million (US$129 million) from the 2021-2027 budget;
• Support to Public Health Institutes in Africa, which aims to bolster UHC and reduce health access inequalities and received an allocation of EUR50 million (US$54 million) from 2024-2027; and
• Digital Health, focusing on reducing health disparities and advancing UHC and PPR through technological and practical innovation, which received EUR87 million (US$94 million) from 2024-2027.