Netherlands Trade Policy: Searching for a development perspective

Speakers Mr. Gijsbert van Liemt and Mr. Otto Genee during the opening session

The first Netherlands national dialogue under the auspices of the TDP project was held on the 23rd of February in The Hague. The event, entitled Netherlands trade policy: In search of a development perspective, was organised by CUTS-LRC in partnership with Both ENDS of The Netherlands, and brought together a range of governmental and non-governmental bodies to discuss key issues relating to Netherlands trade and development policy.

Discussions focused on policy coherence in the Netherlands, how aid for trade can contribute to poverty reduction, and the potential impact of WTO services and non agricultural market access negotiations on developing countries. Speakers included Otto Genee, Director of the Coherence Unit at Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken (MINBUZA), Margriet Kuster from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands, Fransesco Rampa from European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), Myriam vander Stichele from Centre for Reserach on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and Marita Hutjes from NOVIB. In addition Gijsbert van Liemt, an economic consultant, presented a background paper on policy coherence that he wrote for the project.

To access a report of the conference, please use the following link Netherlands report

Mr. Fransesco Rampa, Ms. Margriet Kuster and Mr. Gideon Rabinowitz spoke at the session on Aid for Trade

For more information on the TDP project, please see the TDP page

Conference Programme

Session 1: 10.00am-11.30am

Netherlands trade policy and development: Divergence or Convergence?

Speakers:

1) Otto Genee, Director, Coherence Unit, MINBUZA

2) Gijsbert van Liemt, Economic Consultant

Session 2: 12.00pm-1

Aid for trade: How can this contribute to poverty reduction?

Speakers:

1) San Bilal, Senior Programme Officer, ECDPM

2) Carlos Braga, Senior Trade Advisor, World Bank

Session 3: 2.30pm-3.45pm

WTO Services negotiations: In whose service?

Speakers:

1) Myriam Vander Stichele, SOMO

Session 4: 4.15pm-5.

WTO Non Agricultural Market Access negotiations: What is at stake for developing countries?

Speakers:

1) Marita Hutjes, NOVIB

Supported by the UK Department for International Development (DfID) and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.