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Self Report 2019

The self-report on WHS Commitments below is organized according to the 24 transformations of the Agenda for Humanity. It is based on commitments pledged at the time of report submission. Click on the 'Expand' symbol to expand each section and read the reporting inputs by transformation.

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  • 2D
    Take concrete steps to improve compliance and accountability

    Joint Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • The Netherlands implements commitments made in the United Kingdom led PSVI "Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict".


    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Partners: United Kingdom

    Individual Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • The Netherlands commit to undertaking GBV prevention and mitigation interventions throughout all stages of humanitarian action within and across 100% of its areas of operation by 2018.
    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • The Netherlands commits to developing and implementing strategies for the engagement of men and boys as part of the solution to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in crisis settings by 2018.
    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • The Netherlands has signed and is committed to the Call to Action on Protection from GBV in Emergencies and its corresponding roadmap.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • The Netherlands will continue and tailor to crisis settings the support to the implementation of the targets for the 2030 Agenda on maternal, newborn and adolescent health to ensure safe delivery, emergency obstetric, ante-natal and post-natal services in crisis settings, improved access to information, voluntary family planning, and basic items for safe delivery and sanitary supplies, necessary medical and psychological services for SGBV survivors as well as improved capacity of health systems and workers with immediate effect. In addition, the Netherlands commits to a better provision of comprehensive sexuality education, increased access to safe-abortion facilities and measures and post-abortion care during humanitarian crises.


    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind

    Core Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law, where applicable.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Commit to speak out and systematically condemn serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations and abuses of international human rights law and to take concrete steps to ensure accountability of perpetrators when these acts amount to crimes under international law.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Implement a coordinated global approach to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in crisis contexts, including through the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-based Violence in Emergencies.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Fully comply with humanitarian policies, frameworks and legally binding documents related to gender equality, women's empowerment, and women's rights.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability

    • The Netherlands actively supported the intergovernmental process on strengthening respect for international humanitarian law (IHL). Unfortunately this process has ended without a meaningful outcome. The Netherlands remains committed towards establishing an effective State-led dialogue on IHL as the Netherlands is convinced that more discussion on IHL implementation is necessary and will continue to explore opportunities.
    • The Netherlands actively participated in all consultations, discussions and meeting of States convened by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) relating to strengthening detainee protection in relation to armed conflicts, as mandated by the International Conference of 2011 and 2015.
    • Support for the International Criminal Court is political, financial and practical (as host State). In 2018 the Netherlands made voluntary contributions (EUR 1.375 million) to the Trust Fund for the Victims and is a consistent financial supporter of various civil society organizations, such as Coalition for the International Criminal Court and Parliamentarians for Global Action. The Netherlands actively participated in the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Rome Statute. Political support: through promotion in international fora, within the Assembly of States Parties framework, by facilitating the annual UN General Assembly ICC resolution, participation in the Informal Ministerial Network, efforts specifically related to the promotion of universality of the Rome Statute (bilateral meetings at presidential or ministerial level, through the Universal Periodic Review, through the organisation of visitors programs).

    Gender-based violence prevention and response

    • The Netherlands raises the issue of conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) in general or in the context of relevant country situations e.g. national, joint statements, include in relevant international documents (resolutions, policies, etc).
    • The Netherlands is member of the Call to Action on Protection from GBV and supports the implementation of the Call to Action Road Map.

    Protection against sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA)

    •             The Netherlands is firmly committed to addressing sexual exploitation abuse and harassment (SEAH), both in its internal policies and in its engagement with humanitarian partner organisations.

    •             With Dutch NGOs ,agreements were made on measures which are currently being implemented.

    •             Core message: all partners receiving subsidies should have a solid integrity policy, which includes a code of conduct, which is known by staff, and includes persons of trust in the organization, a whistle blower policy and procedures to report and investigate complaints and to take measures against violators.

    •             Similar agreements are negotiated with international humanitarian partners such as UN organisations to ensure adequate measures on protection against sexual exploitation, abuse and harrasment (PSEAH).

    •             It is agreed that all serious cases of misconduct have to be promptly reported to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which will study and check if the cases have been properly dealt with.

    •             Bottom line: zero tolerance for inaction. Subsidies can be cut, if the organization did not act properly.

    •             In order to facilitate complaints around misconduct the Netherlands currently investigates the option of an independent, sector wide ‘Ombuds mechanism’

    •             The Netherlands is committed to take this further in close cooperation with donors, host Governments and humanitarian partners, and to fund pilots.

    B. Please select if your report relates to any initiatives launched at World Humanitarian summit
    • Centre for Humanitarian Data
    • Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action
    • The Global Alliance for Humanitarian Innovation
    2. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • Reliable data collection based on chain of evidence is essential for accountability. Burden often falls on humanitarian organisations in the field that are not equipped to deal with evidence collection.
    • Implementing international law in national legal frameworks is a global challenge.
    • Universality of international law instruments is at times contested.

    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Data collection regarding violations should adhere to the standards for chain of custody for criminal proceedings. Therefore there is a need for increased (political) support and access for expert groups and accountability mechanisms investigating alleged violations. Efforts to this effect include support for international accountability mechanisms, training at national level for judiciary, prosecution, other officials and first responders.

    Keywords

    Gender, IHL compliance and accountability, PSEA

  • 2E
    Uphold the rules: a global campaign to affirm the norms that safeguard humanity

    Joint Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • The Netherlands pledges to continue to promote universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. It will continue to promote compliance and adherence, and to reinforce the norms being established by the Convention. It will uphold its commitment to foster the humanitarian standards set by the Convention and to work for a world without cluster munitions. The Netherlands remains gravely concerned about the continued use of cluster munitions and will continue to condemn any use by any actor.


    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Partners: State Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law, where applicable.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • During its membership of the UN Security Council (2018), the Netherlands has brought up issues relating to international law and humanitarian principles. For example, the Netherlands initiated the Resolution 2417 (2018) condemning starvation as a method of warfare.
    • International humanitarian law (IHL) is integrated in training operations carried out by the Netherlands in third countries. IHL is part of military training for all military personnel in the Netherlands’ armed forces, both in initial and advanced training.
    • At the national level, the Netherlands amended its International Crimes Act to broaden the application of the war crime of intentionally hindering humanitarian aid using starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare by depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival to situations of non-international armed conflict
    • The Netherlands has supported efforts to enhance respect and protection for medical missions through the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2286 with a special focus on data collection and analysis, and preventing counter-terrorism measures and sanctions having a negative impact on medical missions.
    • From September 2016 to September 2018, the Netherlands , together with Lao PDR, served as co-coordinator for clearance, and in that capacity contributed to clearance efforts. The Netherlands particularly stressed the need for accurate estimations of cluster munition contamination and the value of both technical and non-technical surveys in determining said contamination.
    • Since the 8th Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions in September 2018, the Netherlands, together with Peru, serves as Co-Coordinator for International Cooperation and Assistance. In line with the work plan of the Coordinators, they will focus their work on assisting in particular those States with upcoming deadlines under art. 3 and 4 of the Convention, including through the mobilization of necessary resources needed for the development and implementation of a request. The mandate of the Netherlands as Co-Coordinator for International Cooperation and Assistance will end at the Second Review Conference in 2020.
    2. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Field conditions, including insecurity and access
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Violence and insecurity often hinder principled humanitarian action. Accusations of alleged violations of international law are easily dismissed based on the argument that reliable data and corroborating evidence is missing. Challenges regarding the implementation of international law, including the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), are lack of universalisation and implementation at the national level.

    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Enhanced advocacy efforts; focus on efforts improving data collection on violations; (support) dissemination of international law; and promotion of universality of international law instruments, for example the Rome Statute.

    All High Contracting Parties to the Convention should do their utmost to enhance universalization of the CCM and to monitor compliance with its provisions. Transparent and complete reporting is an important tool in this regard. 

    Keywords

    Humanitarian principles, IHL compliance and accountability, Protection

  • 3A
    Reduce and address displacement

    Individual Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • The Netherlands commits to continue funding sustainable solutions to crises, as is done in the context of Syria. In addition the Netherlands commits to fund national and local development plans that focus on inclusion of refugees to increase resilience and ensure development opportunities (linked to education and employability).


    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind Invest in Humanity

    • The Netherlands commits to ensure that all policy and legal responses to displaced populations recognize the gender-specific needs of displaced women and girls at different stages of the displacement cycle - during flight, settlement and return - and do not discriminate different groups (including women with disabilities, older women, women with HIV/AIDS, women belonging to ethnic, national, sexual or religious minorities).


    • Policy
    • Leave No One Behind

    • The Netherlands commits to find innovative ways to lessen the burden on countries plagued by spillover of conflict, for example by successfully arguing to allow middle-income countries to apply for World Bank loans. In the case of Jordan and Lebanon this makes a real difference as their economies suffer from dramatic influx of refugees.


    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind Invest in Humanity
    • The Netherlands has a leading role in the Regional Development and Protection Programme (RDPP) of the EU that aims to improve the situation of refugees and guest communities in the Horn of Africa and will pay specific attention to the needs of women and girls with a focus on combating gender based violence and early and forced child marriages. From this month onwards, a regional RDPP project of UNHCR and its partners will run in Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan with a specific focus on child protection and prevention of violence against women and girls.

    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    Core Commitments (5)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new approach to addressing forced displacement that not only meets immediate humanitarian needs but reduces vulnerability and improves the resilience, self-reliance and protection of refugees and IDPs. Commit to implementing this new approach through coherent international, regional and national efforts that recognize both the humanitarian and development challenges of displacement. Commit to take the necessary political, policy, legal and financial steps required to address these challenges for the specific context.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to promote and support safe, dignified and durable solutions for internally displaced persons and refugees. Commit to do so in a coherent and measurable manner through international, regional and national programs and by taking the necessary policy, legal and financial steps required for the specific contexts and in order to work towards a target of 50 percent reduction in internal displacement by 2030.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Acknowledge the global public good provided by countries and communities which are hosting large numbers of refugees. Commit to providing communities with large numbers of displaced population or receiving large numbers of returnees with the necessary political, policy and financial, support to address the humanitarian and socio-economic impact. To this end, commit to strengthen multilateral financing instruments. Commit to foster host communities' self-reliance and resilience, as part of the comprehensive and integrated approach outlined in core commitment 1.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to collectively work towards a Global Compact on responsibility-sharing for refugees to safeguard the rights of refugees, while also effectively and predictably supporting States affected by such movements.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to actively work to uphold the institution of asylum and the principle of non-refoulement. Commit to support further accession to and strengthened implementation of national, regional and international laws and policy frameworks that ensure and improve the protection of refugees and IDPs, such as the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol or the AU Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala convention) or the Guiding Principles on internal displacement.
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    Refugees

    In 2018, the Netherlands launched a new EUR 500 million Partnership with 5 partners - World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Labour Organization, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugeers (UNHCR) - to improve prospects for refugees and host communities in 8 different countries. The proposed Partnership aims to join the partners’ efforts to develop a new paradigm in responding to forced displacement crises through the involvement of development actors. It aims to help transform the way governments and other stakeholders, including the private sector, respond to forced displacement crises. As part of this Partnership, the Netherlands, in 2018, already started a number of projects focusing on education with UNICEF.  

    The Netherlands, as lead of the European Union's Regional Development Protection Programme (RDPP) for the Horn of Africa, continued overseeing (together with the EU)  the implementation of the programme. In 2018 the RDPP, using co-financing of bilateral donors and the Netherlands, started a new protection project in Sudan.

    B. Please select if your report relates to any initiatives launched at World Humanitarian summit
    • Education Cannot Wait
    2. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding modalities (earmarking, priorities, yearly agreements, risk aversion measures)
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    • Other: Private sector development
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Besides more common problems around bridging the humanitarian-development nexus, a major challenge in improving prospects for refugees and host communities is the difficulty of building and attracting the private sector as well as conducive conditions for the private sector to flourish.

    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    While donor countries need to put in place sufficient, multi-year development funding for improving prospects for refugees and host communities, host countries need to implement relevant legal and policy changes to enable durable solutions for refugees. Humanitarian and development actors need to continue bridging the nexus while at the same time involving less traditional partners working on private sector development such as the World Bank and IFC.   

    Keywords

    Displacement, Education, Humanitarian-development nexus, Private sector

  • 3D
    Empower and protect women and girls

    Joint Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • The Netherlands commits to reduce the gap between the need of women and girls for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and the services provided in humanitarian and conflict by: (i) Jointly with UNFPA, the Netherlands will ensure that the need for adequate funding, integration and operational prioritization of SRH in humanitarian appeals is high on the international agenda, on the interagency agenda both within and outside the UN. Therefore, the Netherlands commits to seconds a staff member to UNFPA in support of this work. (ii) Jointly with the International AIDS Society, the Netherlands ensures that the integration of HIV/AIDS prevention and care in humanitarian interventions is on the agenda of the HIV/AIDS conferences in Durban (2016) and Amsterdam (2018), for development of operational recommendations. (iii) The Netherlands commits to work with UNFPA on repositioning of UNFPA Supplies, a facility providing governments and humanitarian actors with fast and cost-effective access to an adequate range of quality SRH commodities. (iv) The Netherlands and the Inter Agency Working Group (IAWG) for Reproductive Health in Crises will work on updating adequate training modules for humanitarian staff and to focus on SRHR related aspects. In addition, the Netherlands and the Inter Agency Working Group contribute to the revision of the Minimal Initial Service Package (MISP). (v) The Netherlands commits to cooperates with IPAS on training related to safe abortion and post-abortion care in humanitarian crises.
    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    Partners: UNFPA, International AIDS Society, Inter-Agency Working Group, IPAS

    Individual Commitments (17)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • The Netherlands commits to allocate funding (including pooled funding) only to humanitarian actions that explicitly include a gender analysis with sex and age disaggregated data, and which can demonstrate how they meet women and girls needs equally with men and boys, by 2018.
    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind

    • The Netherlands commits to comply with and submit to monitoring to ensure women and girls are equally protected under international humanitarian law and receive medical care without adverse distinction as the "wounded or sick", by 2018.


    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind

    • The Netherlands commits to ensure national accountability mechanisms to monitor the extent to which gender equality and women's empowerment is implemented in crisis settings.


    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    • The Netherlands commits to ensure that all humanitarian response plans and programmes include gender responsive and gender inclusive financial monitoring tools that can be applied throughout the humanitarian programme cycle.


    • Policy
    • Leave No One Behind

    • The Netherlands commits to ensure that all policy and legal responses to displaced populations recognize the gender-specific needs of displaced women and girls at different stages of the displacement cycle - during flight, settlement and return - and do not discriminate different groups (including women with disabilities, older women, women with HIV/AIDS, women belonging to ethnic, national, sexual or religious minorities).


    • Policy
    • Leave No One Behind
    • The Netherlands commits to ensuring the meaningful and equitable participation of women and adolescent girls (including women with disabilities, older women, women with HIV/AIDS, women belonging to ethnic, national, sexual or religious minorities) in the leadership of humanitarian preparedness, response, protection and recovery programmes, and the formulation of humanitarian policy. In particular, the Netherlands commits to ensuring meaningful participation of women and adolescent girls in all formal and informal decision-making from refugee camp committees to peace processes, reaching parity with men and adolescent boys by 2030. It commits to striving towards a minimum of 30% representation and meaningful participation of women in all local, national and international peace negotiations and conflict transformation processes. Further, the Netherlands encourages all actors to advance women's participation in humanitarian action, and actively support the use of social accountability tools and processes to bring women's voices into needs assessments, design, monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian programming as well as disaster risk reduction and preparedness efforts.
    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    • The Netherlands commits to prioritize the empowerment and engagement of local and national organizations that promote women's rights and gender equality. In particular, it commits to strengthen partnerships with a diverse range of local and national women's rights organisations on both policy decision-making and practice; it commits to ensuring that women can equally access cash assistance programmes, sustainable and dignified livelihoods, vocational and skills training opportunities throughout the humanitarian programme cycle by 2020; and it commits to support INGOs, including international women's organizations, to play their role in strengthening the capacity of local and national women's right organizations, sharing knowledge and expertise and creating meaningful partnerships, with the aim to increase the absorption capacity of local and national organizations.


    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    • The Netherlands funds programmes and commits to advocate for better inclusion of the voices of the most marginalised groups, especially women and girls, in all stages of the humanitarian programming process.


    • Advocacy
    • Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    • The Netherlands has joined the Secretary General's Every Woman Every Child Everywhere initiative and commits to its corresponding roadmap, by 2017, to work to end all preventable deaths of women and adolescent girls in crisis settings.


    • Policy
    • Leave No One Behind
    • The Netherlands supports increased funding for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services in humanitarian response by holding structural political dialogues with Emergency Directors and staff working in humanitarian agencies and NGOs that it funds, stressing the importance of SRHR in humanitarian aid and applying a comprehensive internationally accepted gender marker that is SRHR sensitive.
    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind
    • The Netherlands will apply the IASC, ECHO or other gender and age marker to 100% of its humanitarian funding allocations by 2018, in order to extend the monitoring of gender-equality measures across the full cycle of humanitarian programming, and promote more rigorous accountability.
    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind

    • The Netherlands will continue and tailor to crisis settings the support to the implementation of the targets for the 2030 Agenda on maternal, newborn and adolescent health to ensure safe delivery, emergency obstetric, ante-natal and post-natal services in crisis settings, improved access to information, voluntary family planning, and basic items for safe delivery and sanitary supplies, necessary medical and psychological services for SGBV survivors as well as improved capacity of health systems and workers with immediate effect. In addition, the Netherlands commits to a better provision of comprehensive sexuality education, increased access to safe-abortion facilities and measures and post-abortion care during humanitarian crises.


    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind
    • The Netherlands will support humanitarian programmes that are inclusive and stimulate access to sexual reproductive health for all, including adolescents and other marginalized groups (not discriminating on the basis of age, gender, location, sexual orientation and/or marital status).
    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind
    • The Netherlands will support initiatives to improve availability of reproductive health commodities, from the beginning of a crisis response until recovery and if necessary beyond. This will include support for supply and distribution systems, in particular for contraceptives and reproductive health lifesaving medicines.
    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    • The Netherlands will support strategies for sexual and reproductive health and rights capacity-building by supporting the review of the Minimal Initial Service Package and the application of the IASC Gender Based Violence guidelines.


    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind
    • The Netherlands will support the inclusion of more sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) indicators in data collection and analysis, e.g. rapid needs assessments and monitoring & evaluation, and in humanitarian programs coordinated by the protection and health clusters of the humanitarian system.
    • Policy
    • Leave No One Behind
    • The Netherlands will take a leading role in supporting funding and programming of access to modern (emergency) contraceptives, including access to and training concerning safe abortion, as elementary in the first humanitarian aid package, as well as comprehensive sexuality education for adolescents (both girls and boys), psychosocial support, and the promotion of LGBT rights.
    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind

    Core Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Empower Women and Girls as change agents and leaders, including by increasing support for local women's groups to participate meaningfully in humanitarian action.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the Outcome documents of their review conferences for all women and adolescent girls in crisis settings.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Ensure that humanitarian programming is gender responsive.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Fully comply with humanitarian policies, frameworks and legally binding documents related to gender equality, women's empowerment, and women's rights.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    Empowerment of women and girls

    • The Netherlands supports UN missions in preventing and responding to sexual violence in conflict situations.
    • To assess promotion of better protection and empowerment of women and girls, the Netherlands encourages its implementing partners to systematically use the gender marker and increase the level to which their programmes contribute to gender equality.

    Sexual and reproductive health

    • The Netherlands has seconded a staff member to UN Population Fund (UNFPA) working on prioritizing sexual and reproductive health on the international and humanitarian agenda. In the process of seconding a gender expert (P4) to UN Women’s Humanitarian Action and Crisis Response Unit in Geneva.
    • The Netherlands works closely with organizations as International Planned Parenthood Federation. IPAS and Marie Stopes International supporting their work in crisis settings and has committed to support the Inter-agency Working Group in updating training modules for humanitarian staff.
    • The Netherlands continuously stresses the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in humanitarian aid in strategic dialogue with its implementing partners.
    • The Netherelands asks of implementing partners to comply with the standards of the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Reproductive Health in Crisis Situations​.
    • In 2017, “She Decides” was launched by the Netherlands, safeguarding funding for family planning for women in developing countries, including in crisis settings. The Netherlands continues to actively support this initiative.
    • For promotion of SRHR, including HIV/Aids in humanitarian aid and fragile contexts, coverage of the Minimal Initial Service Package (MISP), including basic obstetric care (BeMOC) has been assessed.
    • The Netherlands funded a two-year World Health Organization programme (EUR 5 million) to ensure access for conflict-affected populations to sexual and reproductive health in Bangladesh (Rohingya), Democratic Republic of the Congto and Yemen. The program implementation started in 2018.

    Gender equality programming

    • Dutch policy on gender equality stresses both the need to improve protective measures, increasing access to all necessary medical care of high quality (including safe abortions) and empowering women and girls. Women and girls in all settings should have the right and the means to decide for themselves.
    • The Netherlands continuously stresses the importance of gender equality in humanitarian aid in strategic dialogue with its implementing partners.
    • To assess promotion of gender equality the Netherlands encourages its implementing partners to systematically use the gender marker and increase the level to which their programmes contribute to gender equality.
    B. Please select if your report relates to any initiatives launched at World Humanitarian summit
    • Centre for Humanitarian Data
    • Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action
    • Education Cannot Wait
    • Grand Bargain
    • The Global Alliance for Humanitarian Innovation
    2. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Adherence to standards and/or humanitarian principles
    • Gender and/or vulnerable group inclusion
    • Human resources/capacity
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • Shifting policy to practice.  Despite progress made - especially related to the development of standards to address SGBV and SRHR in crisis – services and protective measures on the ground are often not available. Situations are complex, issues sensitive, resources scarce.
    • Weak capacity of women’s organizations is a major challenge.

    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • Mainstreaming SRHR and gender equality in humanitarian and development policies and broadly communicating this policy to partners.
    • Standard inclusion of SRHR services and protective measures for women and girls in humanitarian appeals.
    • Support UNFPA and UN Women in their leadership role to continue prioritizing SRH and gender on the international and humanitarian agenda.

    Keywords

    Gender

  • 4B
    Anticipate, do not wait, for crises

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to accelerate the reduction of disaster and climate-related risks through the coherent implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, as well as other relevant strategies and programs of action, including the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to improve the understanding, anticipation and preparedness for disaster and climate-related risks by investing in data, analysis and early warning, and developing evidence-based decision-making processes that result in early action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    Preparedness

    Continued investment in response preparedness capacities of Red Cross National Societies in the Central African Republic, Jordna, Lebanon, Mali and Zambia and in preparedness and early action tools e.g. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)-Disaster Relief Emergency Fund ( DREF).

    The Netherlands supported OCHA in its thought leadership on early humanitarian action by providing technical input.

    Disaster risk data collection/analysis

    Continued engagement in 2018 in the development of the Famine Action Mechanism (FAM), together with different stakeholders, including the World Bank, the UN, ICRC and others. Participation in global level meetings and country workshops in Somalia and South Sudan to develop the FAM. FAM aims to focus on data, financing, implementation to prevent famine.

    B. Please select if your report relates to any initiatives launched at World Humanitarian summit
    • Centre for Humanitarian Data
    • Grand Bargain
    • New Way of Working
    2. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Multi-stakeholder coordination
    • Preparedness
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Multitude of stakeholders challenges coordination on this topic. Validation of data and analysis to act early is not yet (universally) achieved. Successful early humanitarian action requires response preparedness capacity on the ground, but humanitarian donors are not keen in investing in it.

    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Global agenda addressing predictive models as public goods, actionable alerts, pre-positioned financing among others.

    Working together with the OCHA Data Center in greater coordination of predictive analytics models.

    Keywords

    Disaster Risk Reduction, Emergency Response, Humanitarian-development nexus, Preparedness

  • 4C
    Deliver collective outcomes: transcend humanitarian-development divides

    Individual Commitments (6)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Joint analysis of data requires tremendous "thinking power". The Netherlands is exploring ways to effectively combine UN and NGO expertise on (big) data, with expertise from the private sector.


    • Capacity
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • The Netherlands strongly believes in multi-stakeholder partnerships and advocates for the humanitarian and development system to forge effective partnerships to leverage the expertise, capacities and resources of external partners.
    • Partnership
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • The Netherlands supports the transparency of humanitarian data to inform needs assessments.
    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • The Netherlands will continue to advocate for better linkage of (the coordination of) development and humanitarian efforts, including ensuring early recovery is mainstreamed in all clusters and exit/handover strategies of international support to local development partners are in place.
    • Advocacy
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    • The Netherlands will continue to advocate for joint context and risk analysis, prioritized independent assessments and planning of humanitarian and development partners in preparation for and after a humanitarian crisis occurs, with the inclusion of an exit strategy.


    • Advocacy
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    • The Netherlands will continue to commit to ensure better linkage between the humanitarian and development stages through flexible, multi-year funding - without oversimplifying the challenges, especially when acting in conflict or complex situations.


    • Financial
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis and planning towards collective outcomes

    • Closely engaged in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC) process on the triple nexus, resulting in the OECD DAC Recommendation on the nexus.
    • Where possible and applicable, engage in nexus processes in respective crisis countries to encourage greater complementary.
    • Internally strengthen joint analysis of country situations and fostering the nexus, especially in protracted crises in the Horn of Africa.  
    B. Please select if your report relates to any initiatives launched at World Humanitarian summit
    • Grand Bargain
    • New Way of Working
    2. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Adherence to standards and/or humanitarian principles
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • Challenges are addressed now in the OECD DAC Recommendation. Separate funding flows governed by separate principles are often seen as a problem. People-centered approaches should overcome bottlenecks.
    • Challenges regarding knowledge of the functioning of the different systems (humanitarian/development).

    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • Adhere to OECD DAC Recommendation to move beyond definitions. Act locally, starting at the level of the people targeted.
    • Joint meetings and dialogue to explain and understand the different systems.

    Keywords

    Humanitarian-development nexus

  • 5A
    Invest in local capacities

    Individual Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Recent changes in Dutch regulations mean unearmarked support can be provided to foreign NGOs (some Dutch NGOs are already provided core funding).


    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity
    • As a way of channeling more funds to local responders, Netherlands is a strong supporter of country-based pooled funds and will continue to increase its contributions as a proportion of total assistance. Over past years, Netherlands has also been consistently a top 5 donor of CERF.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • The Netherlands commits to continue funding sustainable solutions to crises, as is done in the context of Syria. In addition the Netherlands commits to fund national and local development plans that focus on inclusion of refugees to increase resilience and ensure development opportunities (linked to education and employability).


    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind Invest in Humanity
    • The Netherlands has invested in strengthening capacities of number of national societies of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in the past decade as important actors in national disaster preparedness and response. It will continue long-term investments in strengthening the role and capacity of local actors, especially through the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to empower national and local humanitarian action by increasing the share of financing accessible to local and national humanitarian actors and supporting the enhancement of their national delivery systems, capacities and preparedness planning.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    Direct funding to national/local actors

    • In 2016 the Netherlands approved a 3-year EUR 7 million programme to strengthen humanitarian response capacity of 5 national Red Cross/Red Crescent organisations. This programme is part of the wider IFRC/ICRC programme to strengthen national Red Cross/Red Crescent organisations.
    • The Netherlands also gives unearmarked support to UN organizations like UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, UNRWA and OCHA. The Netherlands is indirectly contributing to strengthening the humanitarian preparedness and response capacities of Governments via these organisations.
    • The Netherlands sees funding to country-based pooled funds (CBPFs) as a practical and efficient mechanism to fund directly local actors; in 2018 with EUR 70 million (18 per cent of humanitarian spending).
    • The Netherlands revisited its humanitarian policy and drafted a new policy framework for the next five years. Part of this policy is a “preparedness programme” to strengthen humanitarian capacities of national/local civil society organizations. The policy will be based on the humanitarian results framework developed in 2016 (preparedness/capacity-building of local actors is one of the pillars).
    • The Netherlands funds the Dutch Relief Alliance, an alliance of international NGOs that aims to transfer by 2019 at least 25 per cent of its Netherlands' funding to local partners. In 2018, the total contribution to the Dutch Relief Alliance amounted to EUR 60 million. Funding for capacity-building of local actors is provided in all projects where cooperation with local actors takes place.

    Country-based pooled funds

    The Netherlands sees funding to ountry-based pooled funds (CBPFs) as a practical and efficient mechanism to fund directly local actors; in 2018 with EUR 70 million (18 per cent of humanitarian spending).

    B. Please select if your report relates to any initiatives launched at World Humanitarian summit
    • Grand Bargain
    2. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding amounts
    • Funding modalities (earmarking, priorities, yearly agreements, risk aversion measures)
    • Human resources/capacity
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • Growth of funding has not kept pace with fast growing needs. Limited funds are available for disaster risk reduction of which preparedness is a key element.
    • Until now, capacity-building has focused on short term “training” of staff, which is important but just one aspect of organisational development.

    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • Capacities of local actors should be strengthened, including investing in empowerment by giving these organisations a formal role in the system. Direct funding and participation of local actors in all aspects of the Humanitarian Planning Cycle.
    • Strengthening capacities of local actors requires long-term, sustained holistic approach that focuses on organisation development (capacity) and institutional development (horizontal relationships and collaboration).
    • Resources for and activities related to strengthening disaster management and response capacities of government institutions should be expanded.  

    Keywords

    Country-based pooled funds, Disaster Risk Reduction, Local action, Preparedness, Strengthening local systems

  • 5D
    Finance outcomes, not fragmentation: shift from funding to financing

    Individual Commitments (6)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Recent changes in Dutch regulations mean unearmarked support can be provided to foreign NGOs (some Dutch NGOs are already provided core funding).


    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity
    • From 2009-2014, a total of 63% of Dutch humanitarian funding was unearmarked. The Netherlands commits to maintain a similarly high proportion of unearmarked funding.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • The Netherlands commits to find innovative ways to lessen the burden on countries plagued by spillover of conflict, for example by successfully arguing to allow middle-income countries to apply for World Bank loans. In the case of Jordan and Lebanon this makes a real difference as their economies suffer from dramatic influx of refugees.


    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind Invest in Humanity
    • The Netherlands commits to increase multi-year funding as a percentage of its humanitarian aid budget, contingent upon the availability of quality multi-year plans, preferably joint.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • The Netherlands current practice is to fund in a reliable and timely fashion, including through multi-year agreements. An estimated 32% of the Dutch humanitarian budget in 2015 was through multi-annual funding.


    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • The Netherlands will continue to commit to ensure better linkage between the humanitarian and development stages through flexible, multi-year funding - without oversimplifying the challenges, especially when acting in conflict or complex situations.


    • Financial
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to enable coherent financing that avoids fragmentation by supporting collective outcomes over multiple years, supporting those with demonstrated comparative advantage to deliver in context.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to promote and increase predictable, multi-year, unearmarked, collaborative and flexible humanitarian funding toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of humanitarian action for affected people.
    • Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to broaden and adapt the global instruments and approaches to meet urgent needs, reduce risk and vulnerability and increase resilience, without adverse impact on humanitarian principles and overall action (as also proposed in Round Table on "Changing Lives").
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    The Netherlands continues to primarily provide flexible and unearmarked funding, including to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), to Country-Based Pooled Funds (CBPF), as well as to humanitarian partner organisations thereby providing quality financing in line with the Grand Bargain commitments.  

    B. Please select if your report relates to any initiatives launched at World Humanitarian summit
    • Grand Bargain
    Keywords

    Country-based pooled funds

  • 5E
    Diversify the resource base and increase cost-efficiency

    Joint Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Mapping the investment of affected host communities and systems, the Netherlands will fund the development of a generosity tracker by CIVICUS.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    Partners: CIVICUS

    Individual Commitments (7)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Recognizing the costs associated with donor requirements, the Netherlands is committed to lessen the burden on agencies by harmonizing requirements.


    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • The Netherlands is a strong supporter of cash assistance. With a 63% share of unearmarked funding (2009-2014), Netherlands allows agencies to make their own decisions as to the most effective, dignified methods of delivering aid.


    • Financial
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • The Netherlands is committed to joint regular functional monitoring and performance reviews and reduce individual assessments, evaluations, verifications, risk management and oversight processes.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity
    • The Netherlands is in the process of launching a help desk for support to Dutch partners in using IATI.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • The Netherlands supports IATI and will continue to do so.


    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • The Netherlands will harmonize the open data requirements with other donors, so that the "report once, use often" principle applies to partners using their open data to report to more donors.


    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • The Netherlands commits to reduce the reporting requirements by accepting progress reporting through IATI (compatible with Dutch guidelines), and is prepared to harmonize reporting guidelines with other donors.


    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to increase substantially and diversify global support and share of resources for humanitarian assistance aimed to address the differentiated needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises in fragile situations and complex emergencies, including increasing cash-based programming in situations where relevant.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to promote and increase predictable, multi-year, unearmarked, collaborative and flexible humanitarian funding toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of humanitarian action for affected people.
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • The Netherlands strongly supports reform of the humanitarian sector through the Grand Bargain: reduce management/overhead costs and increase effect of humanitarian assistance. By providing unearmarked, multi-annual, flexible funding, aid can be provided flexibly, quickly and effectively. The majority (55 per cent) of Dutch funding is flexible and unearmarked. Implementing partners from their side will have to work as efficiently as possible and show results of unearmarked funding to attract more from other donors.
    • The Netherlands is actively promoting the use of International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI). From 2017 onwards, Dutch partners have to report to IATI. Discussions are ongoing with other donors to harmonise reporting requirements. As co-convener of the transparency work stream of the Grand Bargain, the Netherlands is supporting the use of open humanitarian data to enhance transparency of results and funding. By linking to other Grand Bargain work streams such as reporting, the Netherlands aims to lessen the pressure on implementing organisations by harmonising reporting requirements by advocating for un-earmarked funding and use of cash and joint evaluation and monitoring whenever applicable.
    • The Netherlands also funds the set-up of the generosity tracker, meant to enhance transparency of aid flows from local communities. By supporting the OCHA Centre for Humanitarian Data in The Hague, the Netherlands also contributes to more transparency and accountability, which can lead to more efficiency and effectiveness in aid delivery.
    • Most of the Dutch commitments are already implemented and can be considered current policy. As co-convener of the Grand Bargain work stream on transparency, the Netherlands is actively engaged with Development Initiatives and to a lesser extent with the Red Cross/Crescent movement and the International Council of Voluntary Agencies to advocate for implementation of the open data standard commitments. The Grand Bargain commitments are regularly monitored, both internally and externally.
    B. Please select if your report relates to any initiatives launched at World Humanitarian summit
    • Grand Bargain
    2. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding modalities (earmarking, priorities, yearly agreements, risk aversion measures)
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    • Multi-stakeholder coordination
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Challenges are time and capacity constraints to fully implement all the commitments in the first few years. Since most of the commitments and effects can only be reached by working together with other parties, it will take time to ensure change.

    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    What is needed is more transparency of what has been achieved and how efficiently funds are used throughout the aid chain (from donor to affected populations). By using one open data system and a harmonised set of reporting definitions and requirements, organisations can focus more time and funds on humanitarian aid, instead of overhead, while donors have more clarity on what has been achieved and by whom.

    Keywords

    Cash, Transparency / IATI

Attachments

  • Grand Bargain _ self-report narrative_Netherlands 2018
    Transformation - 4A, 4C, 5A, 5D, 5E | Humanitarian-development nexus, PSEA, Strengthening local systems, Transparency / IATI | Grand Bargain