Policy Updates

On June 13, 2024, the Netherlands announced the distribution of its cabinet posts, including the creation of three new ministries: Asylum and Migration, Housing and Spatial Planning, and Climate and Green Growth.

The Dutch government also renamed the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Nature. The Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation will become the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Assistance. These changes are meant to mirror the new government’s priorities.

The PVV was allocated five ministers, the VVD and NSC four, and the BBB two. Designated Prime Minister Dick Schoof does not represent any party.

Ministerial appointments with relevance to development included:

• Minister of Climate and Green Growth: Sophie Hermans ( VVD);
• Minister of Finance: Eelco Heinen ( VVD);
• Minister of Economic Affairs: Dirk Beljaarts ( PVV);
• Minister of Agriculture: Femke Wiersma ( BBB);
• Minister of Education: Eppo Bruins ( NSC, CU);
• Minister of Asylum and Migration: Marjolein Faber ( PVV);
• Minister of Health: Fleur Agema ( PVV);
• Minister of Foreign Affairs: Caspar Veldkamp ( NSC); and
• Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Assistance: Reinette Klever ( PVV).

The PVV’s Ministers for Foreign Trade and Development Assistance Reinette Klever and Asylum and Migration Marjolein Faber sparked controversy due to past statements regarding omvolking, or the ‘replacement theory’. Faber and Klever distanced themselves from past use of the term but reiterated concerns about demographic change.

Candidate ministers and secretaries will present themselves in public hearings to the House of Representatives. The new cabinet is expected to be sworn in on July 2, 2024.

On June 10, 2024, Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher announced that the Netherlands will provide another EUR13 million (US$14 million) for humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

EUR10 million (US$11 million) was allocated to directly supporting organizations, including:

• EUR3 million (US$3 million) to the WHO for medical support and early warning for disease outbreaks;
• EUR4 million (US$4 million) to the ILO's Emergency Response Plan to improve the socio-economic situation in the Palestinian Terrorities; and
• EUR3 million (US$3 million) to the ICRC for trauma support, negotiating to release hostages, and family reunification.

EUR3 million (US$3 million) was reserved for UNWRA, to be made available when the organization has implemented the recent independent research report’s recommendations to improve neutrality concerns.

On June 11, 2024, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Hanke Bruins Slot spoke at a conference about Gaza in Jordan. She mentioned the new contributions, as well as the EUR20 million (US$22 million) already set aside by the Dutch government for early recovery and reconstruction efforts in Gaza. She urged all parties to enact an immediate ceasefire in line with the UN's security resolution.

On May 3, 2024, representatives from the Netherlands attended the 30^th ICPD in New York, where Dutch Director-General for International Cooperation Pascalle Grotenhuis and Dutch SRHR Youth Ambassador Sarah Bahgat called for further action on CSE and youth involvement to continue SRHR progress.

Grotenhuis delivered a statement on behalf of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg and highlighted priorities set out by young people. The Netherlands also supported the ICPD Program of Action and co-hosted 300+ young people at the Global Youth Dialogue to reflect on its urgent call to ensure women and girls’ right to decide over their bodies and futures.

Bahgat delivered a statement at the General Debate of the Commission on Population and Development, highlighting the need to tackle information online, deliver CSE in humanitarian settings, and showcase the outcomes of the Global Youth Dialogue.

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 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 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.

On February 29, 2024, the Dutch NGO Cordaid published an analysis of the Dutch global health strategy, titled Gender Matters: Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policymaking, and concluded that while the strategy includes language on vulnerabilities and gender inequalities, it lacks a plan to assess and address them.

The policy brief underscored the connection between gender and pandemic preparedness and response, as gender influences health risks, healthcare-seeking behavior, and personal treatment by health systems.

The brief found that although the strategy recognizes the importance of gender intersectional approaches, it falls short in providing actionable steps for gender-transformative policies.

The brief presented key recommendations across the areas of: access to healthcare, sexual and GBV, frontline healthcare workers, leadership and governance, economic impacts, and research.

The recommendations stressed the need for comprehensive measures across Dutch ministries to ensure equitable access to healthcare and support services globally and domestically. Additionally, the authors emphasized promoting gender equality in leadership, addressing economic disparities, and conducting gender-specific research to inform effective pandemic response strategies.

On January 10, 2024, outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced changes in the Dutch cabinet.

Rutte announced that Minister for Health, Sports, and Welfare Ernst Kuipers handed in his resignation to the King of the Netherlands. Minister for Long-term Care and Sports Conny Helder will temporarily take over this role until a successor is found.

Additionally, Secretary General for Education, Culture and Science Steven van Weyenberg has been appointed the new Minister of Finance. His former role will be filled by Fleur Gräper-van Koolwijk.

Finally, Rutte announced that Minister for Climate and Energy Rob Jetten will take on the additional role of Vice Prime Minister, previously held by Sigrid Kaag.

On January 8, 2024, Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Geoffrey van Leeuwen announced a new pledge of EUR25 million (US$27 million) for humanitarian relief to Palestinian citizens affected by the Gaza crisis.

The funds will be used for urgent humanitarian needs, such as food, water, medical care, and fuel for electricity and heating. EUR15 million (US$16 million) is assigned to the Dutch Red Cross for relief by the Red Cross/Red Crescent Society in Gaza. The remaining EUR10 million (US$11 million) will go towards the UNRWA for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

This pledge is in addition to the EUR25 million (US$27 million) pledged on December 20, 2024, bringing total Dutch assistance to Palestine to EUR50 million (US$54 million). The funds will come from the Netherlands' 2024 development budget.