Netherlands
Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
Rights-based
development
Education defined as a human
right?
Commitment to free and
compulsory education
Non-discrimination
(race, ethnicity, religion, minority, disability)
Gender
Trends in Dutch Aid
Aid for Education
Rights-based
development
"Human
rights policy was seen until recently as a
separate pillar- a cornerstone- of foreign
policy. Increasing globalization and mobility,
however, now call for human rights policy to be
more fully embedded into all possible foreign
policy areas…human rights are no longer an
exclusively national matter."1
"There is
a direct link between human rights and
development cooperation…development
co-operation is not simply geared to economic
progress, but also to progress in terms of
individual rights and a society in which everyone
has equal opportunities…The Netherlands
supports governments in their efforts to improve
their human rights situation, and helps to create
conditions that encourage compliance with human
rights agreements, subsidising human rights
education projects and democratic election
processes in countries in transition towards a
democratic system" 2
"Dutch
policy seeks to promote human
rights…fostering democracy, promoting
economic pluralism and supporting government
efforts in the field of economic and social
rights – such as education – and civil
and political rights."3
"Development
cooperation can…be used to promote human
rights. Aid can be deployed to encourage and
support compliance with human rights agreements
and democratization in developing
countries."4
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Education defined
as a human right?
"The right
to education is of vital importance…"5
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Commitment to free
and compulsory education
"Good
policies and good governance on the part of
recipient countries are also essential for a
successful development effort. Is the government
of the recipient country…spending money to
bring about accessible,
education for both boys and girls."6
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Non-discrimination
(race, ethnicity, religion, minority, disability)
"Dutch
policy seeks to promote human rights…the
government is involved in the further fine-tuning
of standards, for instance for the protection of
vulnerable members of society, such as children,
the disabled and minorities."7
"Ethnic
tensions; insufficient regard for human rights in
general and minority rights in particular;
inadequate freedom…are all further barriers
to building a stable and healthy society."
8
"The
themes for 2001 are freedom of religion and
belief, combating racism, abolishing torture, and
children’s rights."9
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Gender
"The human
rights of women are an important focus of Dutch
development co-operation policy."10
"The
Netherlands will continue to offer substantial
assistance of various types in areas such as
health care, education, environment, rural
development and gender."11
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Trends in Dutch Aid
- The
Netherlands place among 22 DAC donors12
Net ODA
volume:
-6th in 1999 (US$3.13b)
-6th in 2000 (US$3.07b)
ODA/GNP:
-3rd in 1999 (0.79%)
-2nd in 2000 (0.82%)
- Breakdown of
Dutch ODA (1999)
-Bilateral 69%
-Multilateral 31%13
- In 1999, 4.9%
of bilateral aid commitments were tied to
goods and services from the Netherlands.14
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Aid for Education
- In 1999, the
Netherlands committed 8.3% of bilateral
ODA to Education, and 3.9% to basic
education.15
- In 1997/98
the Netherlands committed 17% of
bilateral ODA to basic social services.16
- The
Netherlands committed 17% of its total
bilateral allocable ODA, and 19% of
overall aid (including multilateral
allocations) to basic social services in
1997/98.17
- In 2001, 50%
of all bilateral aid was directed towards
Africa, with a special emphasis on basic
education.18
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1 Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Dutch Human Rights Policy Memorandum,
2001, p.1.
2 Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Human Rights and Democracy. Text
at http://www.minbuza.nl/english/menu.asp?Key=311494&Pad=257571,305653
3 Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Human Rights and Democracy.
4 Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Human Rights and Democracy.
5 Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Education: a basic human right.
Development cooperation and basic education:
policy, practice and implementation. January,
2000, p.7.
6 Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Netherlands Development Assistance
1998-2000, 2000, p.7.
7 Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Human Rights and Democracy.
8 Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. South-eastern Europe Policy,
1999, p.7.
9 Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Dutch Human Rights Policy Memorandum,
p.1.
10 Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Human Rights and Democracy.
11 Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Memorandum on Africa, January
2000, p.3.
12 DAC/OECD. Development
Co-operation Report, 2000.
13
DAC/OECD. Development
Co-operation Report, 2000.
14 DAC/OECD. Development
Co-operation Report, 2000.
15 DAC/OECD. Development
Co-operation Report, 2000.
16 DAC/OECD. Development
Co-operation Report, 2000.
17 DAC/OECD. Development
Co-operation Report, 2000.
18 Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Dutch Foreign Policy in 2001,
p.2.
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