Development cooperation is one of the main tasks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is the responsibility of the Minister for Development Cooperation. For bilateral assistance at country level responsibility has been delegated to the Dutch embassies.
Overall policy and priorities
The Netherlands development assistance contributes almost five billion Euros each year to poverty reduction world-wide and is one of the few countries that has committed to allocate 0.8% of its GDP to development cooperation, which is 0.1% above the in the UN predetermined standard of 0,7%. However the public demand for visible results becomes stronger. Almost all ODA is provided in the form of untied grants.
The principle objective of the Netherlands development assistance is sustainable poverty reduction. Contributing to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is considered the best way to achieve this. Sustainable poverty reduction is considered only possible if the wide-ranging yet interlinked causes of poverty are tackled simultaneously and are a matter of ‘common concern’.
In October 2007 the Minister for Development Cooperation, Mr. Bert Koenders presented the policy letter “Our common concern, investing in development in a changing world”, which purpose is to present the choices that the Netherlands Government has made in its effort to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
The Minister indicated four enhancements in the focus of policy:
- Peace and security
- Growth and equity
- Equal rights and opportunities for women
- Environment and energy
The Netherlands maintain a structural and bilateral relation for international development cooperation with 36 countries, including Indonesia. Since there are many differences in the nature of development problems and quality of governance for a ‘one size fits all’ approach, the Netherlands applies three country profiles. At country level and within the profiles a tailored approach with realistic priorities will be adopted. Therefore consultation with the partner country and other donors is intensive to enhance aid effectiveness (The Paris Agenda and Ghana Action Plan).
Development cooperation activities/priorities in Indonesia
The embassy in Jakarta has developed a Multi-Annual Strategic Plan, which presents its strategy at country level for the period 2008-2011. The objective is to strengthen and to extend the varied bilateral relations between The Netherlands and Indonesia. This process has been started off with the policy letter Indonesia of 13 June 2006 and the agreement in principle reached on ‘Comprehensive Partnership’ by minister Verhagen (MoFA Netherlands) and minister Wirajuda (MoFA Indonesia) on 14 January 2009.
The Multi-Annual Strategic Plan aims at achieving the following four strategic results:
- Improved democracy, stability, human rights and governance, resulting in an equitable and secure society;
- Improved economic governance, resulting in sustainable economic growth and a just distribution of growth to the society, to be able to reduce poverty rapidly;
- Improved environment and climate policy and implementation, resulting in an increase of renewable energy, sustainable management of natural resources, mitigation & adaptation;
- Broad-based bilateral relations through the ‘Comprehensive Partnership Framework’.
Within the framework of these objectives the Embassy supports programmes in the fields of good governance, investment climate, education, water management, water supply & sanitation, environment (focus on peat lands) and sustainable energy. Gender issues are incorporated in the programmes. The programme is nation-wide with regional focus (Kalimantan, Aceh, Maluku, and Papua).
Financial overview of assistance to Indonesia
The majority of Dutch funds are being allocated to programmes executed by the Indonesian Government. These funds are channelled through multi-donor funds or multilateral agencies, which are responsible for the supervision, monitoring and co-ordination. Therefore Dutch funds are not being used to finance stand-alone projects, but are mainstreamed in Indonesian sector policies and in multilateral financing. In this way Dutch interventions are expected to be more effective and more sustainable.
Flow of funds of Netherland development assistance per sector/theme (Annual disbursements in EUR)
| Disbursement
2007 | Disbursement
2008 | Estimation
2009* | Estimation
2010* |
| Sector/Theme | € | € | € | € |
| Good Governance | 16.466.458 | 21.529.924 | 19.300.000 | 17.800.000 |
| Investment Climate/Private Sector | 1.759.650 | 4.015.075 | 2.500.000 | 2.500.000 |
| Education (basic) | 29.560.687 | 37.491.116 | 29.500.000 | 32.000.000 |
| Higher Education | 5.640.000 | 7.201.647 | 5.854.000 | 5.000.000 |
| Water management | 13.491.612 | 13.306.224 | 12.500.000 | 7.500.000 |
| Water supply and sanitation | 3.292.716 | 7.520.253 | 7.500.000 | 7.500.000 |
| Environment | 743.644 | 3.447.037 | 5.000.000 | 5.000.000 |
| Sustainable energy | 295.400 | 4.874.716 | 14.000.000 | 15.000.000 |
| Reconstruction | 4.500.000 | 1.890.000 | 19.240.000 | 13.460.000 |
| Cross-cutting | 3.927.300 | 3.100.000 | 1.000.000 | 0 |
| * provisional indication | |
Partners
Our main partner is the Government of Indonesia. Besides the Netherlands there are more donors from the European Union active. The Worldbank, the Asian Development Bank, Japan, Australia and the USA are also contributing with loans and grants. The collaboration between donors is constructive and this collaboration will now be led by the Government of Indonesia, thereby implementing the Jakarta Commitment.
Within the framework of broadening the relations the Embassy seeks active participation of Dutch departments and new partners to strengthen joint-collaboration. Furthermore the economic relation will become very important.
For more information: what – who – where?
Sector | Name policy officer | Phone/E-mail |
Good Governance | Alexander Kofman
Deputy Head of the Political Division | +62 524 8231
jak-pa@minbuza.nl
|
Investment Climate
Private Sector | Wiebe Anema
Deputy Head of the Economic Division | +62 524 1060
jak-ea@minbuza.nl |
Education
Basic – en Higher Education | Arnold van der Zanden
Education expert | +62 524 8233
jak-pa@minbuza.nl |
Water Management
Water supply and Sanitation | Jaap van der Velden
Water expert | +62 524 1060
jak-ea@minbuza.nl |
Environment
Biodiversity, forest, peat land | Ben Zech
Environment expert | +62 524 1060
jak-ea@minbuza.nl |
Sustainable Energy | Marnix Segers
Second Secretary Economic Division | +62 524 1060
jak-ea@minbuza.nl |
Reconstruction Aceh/Nias/Yogya en PNPM | Hagar Ligtvoet
First Secretary for Reconstruction | +62 524 1044
jak-pa@minbuza.nl |