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Dutch policy and Parliamentarian support

The Netherlands has shown strong leadership on sexual and reproductive health and rights, and has taken the lead on this issue on a number of occasions such as the Dutch EU presidency in 2004. Through monitoring and policy dialogue, WPF is constantly on the alert to keep Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights as a priority in Dutch development policy.

Actitivies:

  • February 6: International conference Zero Tolerance Against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), The Hague. In the programme (Dutch): the role of Imams in the eradication of FGM; State Secretary of Healthcare, Jet Bussemaker, explained what the Dutch government does. She wants to eradicate FGM completely, she said in her speech (Dutch). Theater maker Adelheid Roosen performed part of the Veiled Monologues.

2007

  • 6 February: International Conference Zero Tolerance against FGM in Rotterdam, organised by several international organisations. WPF conducted a workshop on the 30 years of struggling against FGM. What did we learn?
    Key note speakers were: Nawal El Saadawi (Egypt) and Isatou Touray (Gambia). View the programme of this conference and read about the regional activities. (In Dutch)

2006

  • Input for the Dutch government agreement (Buitenlandparagraaf)
    The Development NGOs, including WPF, united in Partos, have formulated their ideal paragraph on Development Cooperation for any government coming into power after the elections. (October 2006)
  • Questions for Parliament (Kamervragen)
    WPF cooperated with other organisations in formulating several questions for Parliament at the discussion of the budget in the House of Representatives and the Senate. (September 2006)
  • Letter to all programmes committees of the Dutch political parties because of the upcoming elections (Open brief aan programmacommissies). (July 2006)
    WPF, Choice and Youth Incentives have written this letter to each political party to ensure that Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights remains one of the policy priorities of Development Cooperation.
  • Dutch MP Varina Tjon-A-Ten, spokesperson for Development Cooperation of the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA), joined a European study tour for MPS to Ethiopia. Ethiopian and European MPS agreed upon a Call to Action for their governments to address Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and the Millennium Development Goals.  (May 2006)
  • Report of the Expert Meeting (organised in cooperation with Share-net) in preparation of UNGASS Review and High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS in New York, 31 May-2 June 2006. (May 2006)
  • Dutch civil society has produced a joint lobby document as input for the governmental delegation for the UNGASS Review and High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS in New York, 31 May-2 June 2006. 

2005

  • WPF advocated for the parliamentary hearing which was held on December 7, 2005 between the Parliamentary Commission on Foreign Affairs and six NGO representatives. WPF provided input on a number of issues, related to the themes of information and education, services, legislation, advocacy and youth participation. A number of these issues came back the following day in a general meeting (Algemeen Overleg) between the Minister for Development Cooperation and the Parliamentary Commission on Foreign Affairs. This was the first occasion ever, both for the parliamentary hearing and for the general meeting, to be entirely devoted to the topic of SRHR. Commitments were being made in relation to the integration of comprehensive sexuality education in education in six partner countries and improving data collection. (In Dutch)
  • The lobby of the Dutch MDG Platform was based on a joint document (in Dutch).
  • WPF formulated a letter - undersigned by 13 Dutch NGOs - to the ambassadors of the G8 countries in the Netherlands on the subject of the 'Edinburgh Declaration' to urge them to bring this Declaration under the attention of their Head of State and governmental delegation to the G8. (See alsoInternational activities)
  • Letter to bring the letter to Kofi Annan (urging him to include SRHR in his report on the MDGs) to the attention of the Minister for Development Cooperation. This letter is undersigned by Share-net, Rutgers Nisso Groep, Youth Incentives and WPF. (In Dutch)

2004

  • In the framework of the Dutch presidency of the EU WPF and Wemos organised on 9 september 2004 a conference on European policy on health and reproductive rights, called "De Kip of het Ei?" (Chicken or Egg?). It was 4th in the series of Conferences for the Dutch NGOs Campaign "Europa in de Wereld" (Europe in the World) (In Dutch).
  • Report of the meeting called 'Bush Unlimited' on 4 more years of the Bush administration and the consequences for Reproductive Health and commitment for the Cairo Agenda (29 june) (Partly in Dutch).
  • Letter to the Minister for Development Cooperation for input for the 37th session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD). (In Dutch).

2003

  • In cooperation with Share-net and the NCDO WPF wrote an update on the activities planned for Cairo+10 in 2004 (In Dutch).
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