Basisbrief ontwikkelingssamenwerking

Detailed note indicating both longer-term changes in development cooperation policy and budget adjustments for 2011. Lead are the recommendations made by the Scientific Council for Government Policy in their report Less pretension, more ambition, published earlier this year. Key points: Reduction of the number of themes from some 9 to some 4. These include: food security, sexual and reproductive health rights, safety and security, and water.  Support to civil society will undergo further budget cuts.  There will be a move from “social development” to “economic development”, from providing basic services towards promotion of private sector development and economic opportunities. Partner countries will be reduced in two phases from the current 33 to 16 or 10. Further details will be elaborated at a later stage. Higher emphasis will be on the interest of the Netherlands itself. An overall reduction in ODA from 0.8% to 0.7% of GDP is envisaged. For the 2011 budget, it means that “water, environment and climate change” will have a net budget cut, though it is modest compared to other themes/areas of cooperation. Budget cuts on water will be done through a reduction of partner countries (assuming water is a theme in those countries and hence an absolute saving), and programmes carried out via UN channels. More will be invested in the field of knowledge on water and climate. Big additional budget cuts can be expected in the education sector, civil society and health.