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 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.

On December 21, 2023, the Netherlands launched its first support package of 2024 to Ukraine, totaling EUR102 million (US$111 million) and aimed at providing urgent needs to help Ukraine get through winter and prepare for spring.

On December 15, 2023, Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Geoffrey van Leeuwen announced intentions for the package during a visit to Ukraine. The package's allocations were:

• EUR62 million (US$67 million) to support the Ukrainian Government in delivering basic services, restoring critical infrastructure, and ensuring reforms through the Special Program for Ukraine and Moldova Recovery, part of the IDA of the World Bank;
• EUR15 million (US$16 million) for humanitarian assistance via UNOCHA’s Ukraine Humanitarian Fund;
• EUR15 million (US$16 million) for the demining of agricultural lands and liberated areas; and
• EUR10 million (US$11 million) in supplies for the Ukrainian electricity network.

The package is part of more than EUR2 billion (US$2.2 billion) that the Netherlands has reserved for support to Ukraine in 2024. Of this, EUR2 billion (US$2.2 billion) will go towards military support, EUR295 million (US$212 million) towards the European Peace Facility, EUR89 million (US$97 million) to combat impunity, and EUR3 million (US$3.3 million) for non-military cyber support.

On December 20, 2023, Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation Geoffrey van Leeuwen announced that the government will contribute EUR25 million (US$27 million) for emergency assistance to Palestinian citizens in Gaza.

EUR15 million (US$16 million) will go to the Red Cross and Red Crescent Society, and EUR10 million (US$11 million) will go to UNRWA for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The new pledge brings the total development and humanitarian support from the Netherlands to Palestine in 2023 to EUR101 million (US$110 million).

On November 1, 2023, Egypt requested assistance from the EU for more than 400 types of medical devices. The Netherlands has since then made available 40 monitors, 5 ultrasound machines and 250 oxygen concentrators from RescEU stock at the request of the European Commission. On December 12, 2023, Dutch Minister for Health, Sports, and Welfare Ernst Kuipers reserved EUR1.5 million (US$1.6 million) for medical devices in Egypt to take care of Palestinian patients. With the extra EUR1.5 million (US$1.6 million), Kuipers stated a goal to purchase medical devices from suppliers in the geographic region of Egypt for easier transport and provision of documents in the local language.

On December 22, 2023, Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs Hanke Bruins Slot welcomed the UN Security Council’s adoption of a resolution that calls for urgent steps to scale up humanitarian assistance to Gaza. This followed the Netherlands' abstention from a resolution proposed on December 12, 2023, to an indefinite ceasefire in Gaza, as it argued that Israel must be able to continue to defend itself against the threat of Hamas. The Netherlands committed to advocating for multiple humanitarian pauses in the fighting and called on both parties to make all possible efforts to protect civilians.

On December 13, 2023, the Netherlands announced that it has become co-chair of the Global Concessional Financing Facility and pledged EUR10 million (US$11 million) to support Armenia with asylum services.

The Global Concessional Financing Facility is implemented by the World Bank. It supports middle-income countries hosting many refugees that are not eligible for soft loans from development banks at a lower interest rate and with a longer repayment period.

Following a military escalation in September 2023 in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia has hosted more than 100,000 refugees from the region. These refugees make up approximately 3% of the Armenian population and have strained social services, the labor market, and the national economy. The contribution by the Netherlands is meant to strengthen Armenian healthcare, education, and provide people with safe shelter.