Partos is the national platform for Dutch civil society organisations in the international development cooperation sector. This field includes poverty alleviation, humanitarian intervention, human rights and sustainable development. Many member organisations work directly in developing countries, often in cooperation with partner organisations. Other members focus instead, or additionally, on the Netherlands. In this case, the objectives include influencing policy, gaining and distributing information and knowledge, and consolidating a broad range of support among the Dutch public arena.
Partos supports these organisations in reaching their goals by working to increase professionalism throughout the sector and helping it to position itself clearly in the public eye.
The role of the Netherlands in the world
For the elections of the Parlement in november 2006, Partos presented recommendations for the new government's programmes on international and European policy. The members of Partos requested that more emphasis should be placed on international cooperation in formulating the new coalition agreement. Read the document with the recommendations >>>
How Partos came into existence
There are many different civil society organisations in the field of development cooperation in the Netherlands. Though many collaboration efforts already exist, cooperation needs to be further improved and strengthened.
An national platform is ideally placed to carry out this task and to help the different parties concerned get to know each other and cooperate more effectively. Partos seeks to coordinate efforts to adopt sector-wide positions on key-issues, will stimulate the shaping of a common vision and will contribute to improve the quality and professionalism of the sector as a whole.
ICCO's Director Jack van Ham took the initiative of calling for the creation of a national platform in 2003. Since then, more than 80 other organisations have been involved. A steering committee was set up to lead the exploratory phase, make suggestions as to the future shape of the association and prepare for the founding of Partos.
Partos was officially launched on 6 October 2004.
Click here for an overview of the members.
For more information, you can download the brochure about Partos.
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