A deal is a deal
Over 50 years ago, it was agreed within the OECD-DAC that countries would invest at least 0.7 per cent of their Gross National Income (GNI) in development cooperation; the Netherlands has also committed to this agreement. Until 2024, this percentage was also enshrined in the Dutch budgetary framework, ensuring that the budget continued to aim for the 0.7% target. This has now been removed from the budget, meaning that, due to austerity measures, it remains stuck at 0.44%, with little prospect of improvement.
Concerns about financing development cooperation
For years now, the Netherlands’ 0.7 per cent target has been out of sight. With the spending cuts imposed by the previous government, the ODA budget has reached a new low. As a result, the Netherlands is structurally failing to honour its own commitment. Despite increases to the budget, the current government does not yet appear to be turning the tide.
Multi-year funding is crucial for sustainable impact if the Netherlands is to continue to be regarded as a reliable partner on the international stage. Drastic cuts to the budget not only undermine positive impact in the future but also jeopardise the continuation of ongoing projects.
What money for what purpose?
Internationally, the OECD-DAC determines which expenditure counts as official development assistance (ODA). However, there is expenditure unrelated to development that is financed from the Dutch development budget. One example of this is the cost of providing initial reception for refugees. Partos is a strong advocate of humane and adequate reception, but this should not be funded from the development budget. In the past, these expenditure items have unexpectedly turned out to be higher than estimated, which jeopardises the stability of the budget. Since 2024, it has been stipulated that only 10 per cent of the ODA budget may be spent on this reception. Partos welcomes this clear demarcation.
Furthermore, an ever-increasing proportion of the development budget is being channelled towards Dutch businesses, including through the Aid and Trade agenda. Partos advocates using the development budget for its intended purpose: promoting sustainable development by tackling the root causes of conflict, climate change, food insecurity, and poverty. According to the OECD-DAC, this must not be driven by national interests or the business sector.
What do we do?
Partos is committed to ensuring that the Netherlands returns to meeting the international target of 0.7 per cent. To this end, we focus our efforts on, amongst other things, election manifestos, coalition agreements and debates in de Tweede Kamer.
In the Partos lobby group, we coordinate priorities and actions on a weekly basis. We organise regular meetings for the broad Partos lobby network to exchange knowledge and experience.