Annual Social Report 2012
AVT13/BZ108280 1 Contents
Foreword
1 General 1.1 Organisation 1.2 Developments 1.3 Expenditure on personnel
2 Civil servants 2.1 Staff complement 2.2 Staff joining and leaving BZ 2.3 Placement process and career policy 2.4 Diversity policy 2.5 Development and training 2.6 Family policy 2.7 Working conditions 2.8 Honorary consuls
3 Local staff
4 Conditions of employment and integrity 4.1 Conditions of employment 4.2 Integrity
5 The organisation Organisational structure Political leaders and senior civil servants Departments and units Embassies Consulates-general Permanent missions to international organisations Other representations
AVT13/BZ108280 2 Foreword
‘Changes at the top’
2012 was a year of change. The Ministry bade farewell to Ministers Uri Rosenthal and Ben Knapen and welcomed Frans Timmermans as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs and Lilianne Ploumen as the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. In the summer, Renée Jones-Bos succeeded Ed Kronenburg as Secretary-General. And after many years as Director of the Human Resources Department, Hermien van Triest has now passed the baton on to me.
The coalition agreement that forms the basis for the new government will have a clear impact on the Ministry. We are required to make substantial cutbacks, which will once again have serious repercussions for our network of missions. We will be working out the details over the next few years. But the coalition agreement presents new opportunities too; the arrival of the Directorate- General for Foreign Economic Relations (DGBEB) has given the Ministry a greater mandate, enabling it to unite development cooperation and foreign trade.
The cuts imposed by the previous government were already having a visible effect in 2012; the Ministry and its mission network have been slimmed down further, but the greatest impact of this cost-cutting will not be felt until 2013 and 2014. On top of this, we will also have to make the first round of cutbacks introduced by the new government, which will inevitably affect personnel policy in the years ahead.
Under the Rutte I government, various projects were launched to make the civil service more compact. This involves harmonising and merging various tasks to help central government provide services more effectively and economically. Human resources services will also become more standardised where possible. The Rutte-Asscher government wants to take the Compact Civil Service programme further. BZ has taken the lead in a project to set up a government-wide shared service organisation for international services. This new organisation, 3W WorldWide Working, took shape in 2012 and is being officially launched in 2013. The operational arms of HDPO, DHF and FEZ in particular will be part of 3W.
AVT13/BZ108280 3 In 2012 Regional Support Offices (RSOs) were established for North America and the Caribbean, Southern Africa, China, Asia, Southern and Central America and Western Europe. Several missions were closed: the embassies in Montevideo (Uruguay) and Quito (Ecuador) and the consulate-general in Barcelona (Spain). In Bujumbura (Burundi) an embassy office became a full-blown embassy.
The new Secretary-General has taken the initiative to formulate a vision and mission for BZ. Staff in The Hague and at the missions have been encouraged to discuss this vision, BZ’s core qualities and setting an ambitious goal for 2015. In 2013 this vision will serve as a basis for the Ministry when deciding how the obligations arising from the coalition agreement should be put into practice.
HDPO is also altering its course in the light of these developments. In the years ahead the department will channel its efforts into its core business: implementing an HR policy that ensures the right person is in the right position at the right time, placing more emphasis than before on the interests of the organisation. Furthermore, the Compact Civil Service projects require greater cooperation between ministries. HDPO will work to position BZ as a strong, open, results-oriented and flexible organisation that delivers maximum added value, which it also shares with other ministries. Non-core HDPO tasks will be transferred to other units within BZ (3W) or outside (P-Direkt and the Human Resources Expertise Centre (EC O&P)).
In 2012 we took the first steps towards strategic personnel planning (SPP) with a number of departments. We will continue these efforts in 2013. In response to an evaluation in 2012, the interview and assessment cycle will be modified in 2013. As part of the smart working initiative, new workspaces have been created on the 11th floor of the Ministry in The Hague, providing a new way for staff to work together. Other floors will be converted in 2013.
On 1 January 2012 the markers used for setting terms and conditions of employment for local staff were adjusted. In principle, the local representations of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and the European Union will now serve as reference points for each mission.
As BZ’s workforce ages, it is important to attract young talent (despite the cutbacks), which is why a new training and development programme has been launched for young policy officers at the start of their career. In principle, staff will be appointed for a seven-year period, spending the
AVT13/BZ108280 4 first two years at the Ministry in The Hague, the next two years on a posting and the final three years back at the Ministry. They will start with a three-month basic training course, followed by an intensive personal development programme and opportunities to gain experience at other ministries and civil society organisations.
Whatever instruments we develop and apply, we must ensure, in the interest of transparency and due care, that we communicate properly with staff, managers and employee participation bodies about how HDPO interprets BZ’s vision and core qualities. Together with a merit-based personnel policy, this offers a sound basis for building confidence in the organisation and confidence in the future, despite the changes that will inevitably have to be made in this mobile organisation.
I greatly appreciate the major efforts that our civil servants, local employees, honorary consuls and other staff have made in the past year in achieving BZ’s goals.
Ines Coppoolse Director, Human Resources Department
AVT13/BZ108280 5 1 General
1.1 Organisation The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BZ) helps create a strong, safe and prosperous Kingdom of the Netherlands by working for freedom, human rights and a strong international legal order, which are essential for peace, stability and economic growth. BZ also promotes an effective EU, which strengthens our voice in the world, and strives for poverty reduction and global public goods. We support companies, large and small, in their foreign business activities and assist Dutch nationals abroad.
BZ’s staff achieve this by building bridges between people and organisations and by applying their knowledge of foreign affairs to respond flexibly to developments in our rapidly changing country and world. The Ministry operates from its headquarters in The Hague and from over 150 embassies, permanent missions, consular missions and other representations around the world.
BZ’s tasks are carried out by a diverse staff, ranging from civil servants, honorary consuls, local staff and election observers to temporary staff, consultants and work placement trainees as well as staff of other ministries seconded to BZ.
1.2 Developments
Personnel policy In 2012 the cutbacks and reforms introduced by the first Rutte government continued to take shape. In 2011 the Swartbol Report triggered a debate on adjustments to the placement process, and the discussion continued in 2012. In June, the Works Council rejected a request by the Ministry’s senior management to change two aspects of the process, saying the proposals were inadequate and calling for an integrated action plan for a thorough review of the whole process. Discussions on the matter will continue in 2013.
In 2012 the Human Resources Department (HDPO) continued working on tools for strategic personnel planning that will allow the organisation to better target its activities at staff development and medium-term trends in staff joining and leaving BZ and being promoted. Initial steps have been taken to map the effects that developments in the consular and financial sectors will have on staffing and to reflect these in the staff complement. A particular challenge
AVT13/BZ108280 6 for HDPO is determining the knowledge and qualities that already exist and those that are required among the Ministry’s staff. The new interview and assessment cycle as yet offers too little scope for HDPO to gain a clear picture of staff knowledge and competencies. This is partly because it receives too few job performance interview reports and partly because the quality of the reports is not always up to scratch.
The 2012 Annual Plan announced that efforts to encourage greater external mobility would be stepped up. Policy in this area was set out in 2012 in the policy memorandum on staff departure (Uitstroomnotitie). As part of these efforts, HDPO discussed the possibility of voluntary departure with a number of employees. The Human Resources Expertise Centre (EC O&P) helped 16 BZ staff members explore the options, and there is now a general invitation open to all staff to discuss voluntary mobility with HDPO and explore the incentives offered under the rules. This guidance is tailored to the situation and target group. Staff can also obtain advice on how to look for a new job outside the Ministry.
HDPO handled 22 requests from staff concerning financial incentives aimed at voluntary departure and approved all but one. In 2012 the department’s Mobility Unit initiated performance review processes relating to seven members of staff falling into the category ‘qualitative friction’. The poor labour market affected the number of people leaving the Ministry voluntarily.
In 2012 important steps were taken in launching smart working at BZ. The results of several pilot projects were used to draw up a road map and a programme unit was set up to prepare the organisation for 2016, when the Ministry moves to its new premises on Rijnstraat and the concept of working any time, anywhere and on any device becomes the norm for all staff in The Hague. As part of one pilot, the 11th floor was converted into an open-plan office to accommodate smart working principles.
In 2012 the departments and missions followed up the results of the BZ staff satisfaction survey held in autumn 2011. Integrity, work stress, poor communication and the lack of a clear mission and vision emerged as the key areas for improvement across the board. In 2012 these points were tackled in a variety of ways, including a broad discussion of BZ’s mission and vision. The Code of Conduct on Integrity was also revised, and greater attention was paid to communication, especially that surrounding the progress and effects of the reforms and cutbacks. Furthermore, an analysis was made of the specific causes of stress at work for each
AVT13/BZ108280 7 department and, on request, for the missions. The second staff satisfaction survey will be conducted in spring 2013.
In April 2012 BZ introduced the Civil Service Job Description and Evaluation System (FGR), which aims to standardise the thousands of job descriptions that exist at central government level, as well as boosting flexibility and mobility within and between ministries. The job descriptions of all civil servants at the Ministry and those posted abroad were replaced by profiles from the new system.
On 1 January 2012 the new marker system was applied for the first time in setting wages and other conditions of employment for locally hired mission staff. The effects of pay restraint for these staff will eventually become evident. However, if a job is placed in a lower pay scale, existing staff will not face a cut in salary. The new system will be evaluated in 2013 in consultation with the trade unions.
Cutbacks and reforms Efforts to achieve a more compact civil service continued in 2012. One of the main tasks was setting up a government-wide shared service organisation for international services, a project led by BZ. The centre will be officially launched, under the name WorldWide Working (3W), in April 2013 and will provide a central service desk for staff from BZ and other ministries who are posted abroad.
Participation in government-wide shared service organisations (SSOs) outside BZ also received a boost, including preparations for linking BZ up to P-Direkt, the central government system that handles HR administrative processes, from 1 January 2014. Collaboration with the EC O&P was also stepped up. Triggered in part by these developments, research was started into the pros and cons of creating a new Operational Management Department to coordinate operational management processes once these have largely been transferred to 3W and external SSOs.
On 1 May 2012 staff from BZ’s audit department moved to the Central Audit Service, the government’s internal audit department that serves all ministries from its base at the Ministry of Finance.
AVT13/BZ108280 8 In late 2012 the Ministry started fleshing out the new reforms and cutbacks arising from the new government’s coalition agreement. Over the next few years, BZ will have to save an extra €1 billion on development cooperation and make further cutbacks of €40 million in its network of missions and €60 million across the organisation as a whole.
At the same time, the Ministry’s tasks were extended as of 5 November 2012 with the addition of international economic relations, including foreign trade and investment. As part of this package, around 120 establishment posts were transferred from the Directorate-General for International Relations (DGIB) at the Ministry of Economic Affairs to BZ’s new Directorate- General for Foreign Economic Relations (DGBEB). The staff involved relocated in late 2012 and their legal transfer is scheduled for 1 May 2013.
During the first six months of 2013, a future-proof BZ will be designed on the basis of a vision of its added value for the Netherlands. This will involve greater streamlining and integration of tasks within the Ministry, both in The Hague and at the missions, which will affect a great many staff throughout the organisation.
Closing and opening missions In 2011 the decision was made to reform the mission network, closing 10 and opening three missions by 2015. Using the plan of action for closing a mission, the process is being coordinated by the regional departments, assisted by a work group on opening and closing missions (WOSP) in which all the departments involved are represented. HDPO is leading the process of developing redundancy programmes for local staff, redefining the area served by the remaining missions and timing the transfers of BZ officials posted abroad.
The missions at Asmara and Yaoundé closed at the end of 2011, followed by Quito and Montevideo in early 2012. The consulate-general in Barcelona became an honorary consulate that same year. Preparations were also made for the closure of the missions in Ouagadougou, Guatemala City, Lusaka, Managua and La Paz in 2013. New missions in Panama and Juba opened in 2011. The embassy office in Bujumbura became a full-blown embassy in 2012. Preparations are underway for a consulate-general for Western China in Chongqing.
AVT13/BZ108280 9 Small missions When the cutbacks imposed by the previous government are completed in 2015, the mission network will comprise many small missions employing no more than two BZ policy officers posted from The Hague, two attachés and a total of 17 establishment posts, including local staff. Small missions must be able to operate effectively, and in 2012 the Ministry’s leadership approved over 60 recommendations to this end. The aim is to relieve them of operational management tasks as far as possible and if necessary limit the policy tasks they are given.
Regionalisation In 2012 the regionalisation project team continued to work closely with a range of departments and the new Regional Support Offices (RSOs) to get the latter up and running. In 2012 RSOs were launched for North America and the Caribbean, Southern Africa, China, Asia, South and Central America, and Western Europe. In each case redundancy programmes were adopted for local staff affected by the reorganisation. The RSOs are staffed by personnel posted from The Hague as well as local employees. Decisions are expected in 2013 on the launch of RSOs for North Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
1.3 Expenditure on personnel Expenditure on personnel was on balance almost 2% lower in 2012 than in 2011.
As no collective labour agreement for the government sector was concluded in 2012, there were no new salary adjustments for civil servants. As a result of the personnel policy, the staff complement of BZ civil servants dropped by 81 employees over the course of 2012. Civil servant wage costs fell only slightly, by €0.3 million. There were various administrative reasons for this, the most important factor being the harmonisation of cost types across central government in 2012. As a result, from 2012 commuting costs were no longer presented as miscellaneous costs but rather as Ministry wage costs. If this effect is corrected, wage costs for civil servants show a decrease of almost 2%.
In 2012 personnel costs for local staff were down 0.7%, partly because there were 65 fewer local staff, and partly because of the change to the pay adjustment system introduced on 1 January 2012 (see chapter 3). The decrease would have been greater had the exchange rate between the euro and, in particular, the US dollar not been so unfavourable.
AVT13/BZ108280 10 Key financial statistics on staff expenditure (in millions of euros) change change in 2012 2011 2010 in 2012 2011 Wage costs of staff in The Hague 1) 124.8 120.0 122.6 4.0% -2.1% Wage costs of staff posted abroad 1) 91.8 96.9 99.9 -5.3% -3.0% Wage costs of local staff 1) 97.9 98.6 90.2 -0.7% 9.3% Foreign service allowance 2) 74.8 76.6 75.0 -2.4% 2.1% Payments to former staff 1.5 2.8 2.7 -46.0% 2.5% Operational management at missions 21.9 22.8 22.2 -4.0% 2.6% Training 4.1 5.1 5.9 -18.5% -14.1% Other (e.g. recruitment and selection; safety, health and welfare) 2.9 4.8 5.1 -40.5% -5.0%
Total 419.7 427.7 423.6 -1.9% 1.0% 1) Including social insurance and pension contributions and from 2012 commuting costs 2) Largely based on Foreign Service Allowances and Facilities System 2007, excluding taxation
AVT13/BZ108280 11 2 Civil servants
2.1 Staff complement The decrease in the total staff complement continued in 2012.
The number of civil servants in active service at BZ dropped by 81 to 2,644 (excluding civil servants on unpaid special leave).
DGIB staff who under the coalition agreement moved from the Ministry of Economic Affairs to BZ are not included in the figures because they were not yet on BZ’s payroll in 2012. This concerned 114 staff members at the end of 2012. In addition, nine BZ staff were seconded to DGIB; they are included in the figures as seconded staff.
The total number of local staff across all ministries fell by 65 to 2,256 in 2012. The number employed by BZ decreased by 74 to 2,019. This continues the trend towards fewer local staff that was started in 2011.
Staff complement (civil servants) excluding civil servants on unpaid special leave
Scale Men Women Total 4 7 1 8 5 0 2 2 6 4 122 126 7 12 152 164 8 71 182 253 9 65 113 178 10 108 115 223 11 181 167 348 12 233 196 429 13 235 169 404 14 144 62 206 15 94 23 117 16 57 19 76
AVT13/BZ108280 12 17 62 7 69 18 17 4 21 19 18 2 20 Total 1,308 1,336 2,644 49.5% 50.5%
Staff complement (civil servants and local staff)
Posting in Posting Total NL abroad BZcivilservants,employedbyBZ*) 1,567 970 2,537 BZ civil servants, seconded outside BZ 61 46 107 BZ civil servants, total 1,628 1,016 2,644 Civil servants from other ministries, seconded to 61 25 86 BZ **) Local staff employed by BZ and other ministries 0 2,256 2,256 ***) Civil servants from BZ and other ministries 1,689 3,297 4,986
*) excluding DGBEB **) excluding attachés ***) including 237 from other ministries and organisations
Trends in staff complement (civil servants and local staff)
2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 Civil servants from BZ and other 2,730 2,791 2,909 3,072 3,151 ministries Local staff employed by BZ and other 2,256 2,321 2,407 2,359 2,283 ministries 4,986 5,112 5,316 5,431 5,434
AVT13/BZ108280 13 2.2 Staff joining and leaving BZ In 2012 more staff (163) left BZ than joined (72), continuing the trend that began in 2008. Of those who left, five retired, 64 took early retirement, 32 resigned, 29 went to work elsewhere within the civil service, 26 came to the end of their temporary appointment, three died, two became medically incapable of work and two left for other reasons.
In 2012, too, the majority of new staff (39) were hired in the policy sector. More staff joined for specialist jobs in 2012 (25) than in 2011 (18), continuing the upward trend. This is the result of a sharp focus on the previous government’s political priorities and the shift in ICT insourcing towards more civil service posts in response to the cutbacks. This partly explains the recruitment of relatively experienced and therefore older staff. Nevertheless, BZ continued its efforts to recruit younger employees; of the 72 new employees, 46 were younger than 35.
In January 2012, 21 entry-level policy officers with an average age of 26 were taken on for the basic training course for young diplomats. Under the agreements made with the Works Council, they were given a temporary appointment for a seven-year period of work and training/development. This annual recruitment campaign once again proved popular in 2012, with 847 people applying in August. This is slightly fewer than in 2011 (928), due in part to stricter recruitment requirements. The selection was completed in January 2013 with the appointment of 19 entry-level policy officers. They, too, were hired for a fixed seven-year period of work and training, commencing on 1 April 2013.
The number of students on work placements at BZ rose again, from 383 in 2009 to 480 in 2012. Of the participating students 444 were from universities, 29 were in higher professional education and 7 were in secondary vocational education. As in previous years, more women (276) than men (204) took part. Of the total, 50 had an ethnic minority background, fewer than in 2011 (63). There were 323 work placements abroad and 157 at the Ministry and the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) in the Netherlands.
In 2012 BZ and the University of Nijmegen again jointly arranged for six postgraduates to combine their Advanced Master’s development studies course with work experience at the Ministry. BZ also runs a legal trainee programme (two trainees) and participates in BOFEB, the graduate trainee programme for financial and economic policy officers (two trainees). Two BZ trainees were appointed as part of the central government trainee programme.
AVT13/BZ108280 14 BZ takes an active part in other government-wide training courses too. Master’s students at the Academy for Government Lawyers can follow a two-month work placement at the Legal Affairs Department. In 2012 10 students took advantage of this opportunity. BZ also facilitates secondments for the central government trainee programme (45 trainees), as well as the financial trainee programme (3 trainees) run by the Ministry of Finance.
In 2012 BZ seconded 25 new civilian experts at the request of various international organisations and as part of its policy on fragile states. This was two more than last year. At the same time, fewer experts’ contracts were extended (32 as opposed to 47 in 2011). The total complement now consists of around 275 experts.
Fourteen long-term and 42 short-term observers joined election monitoring missions by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OCSE), the European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe (CoE). This compares with 20 long-term and 32 short-term observers in 2011. The increase in the number of short-term observers is in line with the new strategy to train more observers for long-term election monitoring. The available pool of experts experienced in long-term monitoring is rapidly ageing and those without experience are not invited to take part in long-term missions. In 2012, three MPs also took part in missions.
BZ also recruits temporary staff, who are generally deployed in the event of long-term illness, maternity leave or at peak times. In 2012 BZ entered into 118 new temporary employment contracts, and 180 existing contracts were extended. The majority of staff were hired in scale 6 (22 secretaries) and scale 11 (20 policy officers).
Number of civil servants joining and leaving BZ 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 Joining 72 56 43 89 131 Leaving 163 169 210 189 165 Change in unpaid special leave -10 8 2 -15 -2 Difference -81 -121 -169 -85 -32
AVT13/BZ108280 15 Civil servants joining and leaving 2008-2012
225 200 175 s
n 150 o s r 125 Indiensttredingen e p
f 100 Uitdiensttredingen o
r 75 e b 50 m u
N 25 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Indiensttredingen = New staff Uitdiensttredingen = Departing staff
Civil servants joining and leaving BZ (by category)
Job category Joined Left in Difference Joined Left in Difference in 2012 2012 2012 in 2011 2011 2011 Administrative/consular 1 18 -17 0 7 -7 Administrative/consular 0 4 -4 0 6 -6 management Administrative/consular 0 1 -1 0 0 0 specialist Policy 42 23 19 28 41 -13 Policy (management) 0 8 -8 0 4 -4 Policy (specialist) 7 9 -2 6 10 -4 Management 1 11 -10 0 7 -7 Support 0 15 -15 0 6 -6 Administrative/consular 0 1 -1 0 1 -1 support Specialist 12 37 -25 9 31 -22 Specialist management 0 0 0 1 3 -2 Not classified* 9 36 -27 12 53 -41 Total 72 163 -91 56 169 -113 * Personnel other than regular staff (e.g. seconded staff, government trainees and non-active staff)
AVT13/BZ108280 16 New civil servants (by sex and salary scale)
Scale Men Women Total 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 1 to 9 1 0 0 0 1 0 10and11 18 20 25 19 43 39 12andhigher 17 9 11 8 28 17 Total 36 29 36 27 72 56
Civil servants leaving BZ (by sex and salary scale)
Scale Men Women Total 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 1to9 13 32 29 19 42 51 10and11 22 23 20 24 42 47 12andhigher 52 53 27 18 79 71 Total 87 108 76 61 163 169
Reason for departure
Reason Men Women Total 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 Earlyretirement 45 57 19 14 64 71 Endoftemporaryappointment 12 17 14 17 26 34 Retirement 2 0 3 0 5 0 Death 251136 Incapacity for work 0 0 2 3 2 3 Transfer within central 15 12 14 4 29 16 government Resignation 10 16 22 19 32 35 Other 111324 Total 87 108 76 61 163 169
AVT13/BZ108280 17 Civil servants leaving BZ in 2011 (by reason for departure)
Vervroegde pensionering
Einde tijdelijke aanstelling
Pensioen
Overlijden
Arbeidsongeschiktheid
Overgang binnen Rijksdienst
Ontslag op verzoek werknemer
Overig
Vervroegde pensionering = Early retirement Einde tijdelijke aanstelling = End of temporary appointment Pensioen = Retirement Overlijden = Death Arbeidsongeschiktheid = Incapacity for work Overgang binnen Rijksdienst = Transfer within central government Ontslag op verzoek werknemer = Resignation Overig = Other
Civil servants joining BZ (by pay category)
80 70 60 s 1 t/m 5 n o
50 s
r 6 t/m 9 e p
40 f 10 en 11 o
r
30 e 12 t/m14 b
m 15 t/m19 20 u N 10 0 20122011201020092008
1 t/m 5 = 1 to 5 etc. 10en11 =10and11
AVT13/BZ108280 18 2.3 Placement process and career policy
Leadership programme In 2012 30 participants took part in the selection process for the Leadership pathway in the policy sector. Of these, 23 (13 women and 10 men) were admitted to the Leadership pool. Five candidates (3 women and 2 men) were found to be not yet ready for admission, one was rejected, and one withdrew from the process. Of the 14 candidates admitted to the Leadership pool in 2011, 11 were ultimately placed in a managerial position in scale 14.
2012 transfer round 499 staff participated in the 2012 transfer round. This number subsequently fell, partly because of people being assigned to interim vacancies. In contrast to previous years, in this round the Ministry decided to continue publishing interim vacancies during the matching period. This meant that in addition to expressing their interest in transfer round jobs, staff could also apply for positions that had become vacant in the interim. Four civil servants were awarded unpaid leave at their request and 11 resigned. Six of these had applied for the Flexible Pension and Retirement Scheme. At the end of April 2012, 341 of the remaining 439 participants had been assigned to a permanent job and 10 to a specific assignment. Most of the others were placed or assigned later.
Forty-nine per cent of the participants obtained their job of first preference. If placements in positions from the interim vacancy publications are included, this percentage rises to 53%. These are by definition jobs of first preference because candidates apply for them voluntarily. Over the past six years, the percentage of staff obtaining their preferred job has fluctuated between 45% and 59%. This trend continued in 2012, with a percentage that was higher than in 2010 (45%) and similar to that in 2011 (51%).
The 2012 round was also marked by limited scope for promotion. However, the percentage of staff promoted in this round (17%) was still significantly higher than in 2011 (12%). Of the 351 candidates placed, 60 were promoted – 33 men and 27 women. A total of 69 participants were posted to a suitable job carrying a lower scale (but retained their current salary scale), 28 of whom were awarded their job of preference, and 31 of whom agreed to the placement after consultation. The others stayed at the same level.
AVT13/BZ108280 19 In 2012 277 people were assigned to an interim vacancy. For 83 (41 men and 42 women, representing 33% of the total) this meant a promotion.
Sixty-nine civil servants participated in the 2012 round at CPB-I level (which comprises the senior positions at BZ). There were 56 CPB-I positions available. Three women and eight men became eligible for such a position for the first time. Nine women were placed in one of the 56 CPB-I positions, and 16 candidates were promoted (three women and 13 men).
Interview and assessment cycle 2012 saw the continuation of the interview and assessment cycle launched in 2010, in which annual job performance interviews are held and a formal assessment only takes place at the request of the individual concerned or in exceptional circumstances. Staff are offered an e- learning tool to get them acquainted with the system and the cycle is also covered during leadership training. The new cycle was evaluated in 2012, showing that the number of interviews held was below the target of at least one per year, especially in the more senior positions. The results also revealed that the interviews still need to become more two-sided and that interview reports often require more depth.
The immediate aim is to hold interviews more often, significantly raise the quality of interview reports and ensure that reports are submitted to HDPO. To this end, adjustments to the interview and assessment cycle will be proposed to the Works Council in 2013.
Career assessment In 2010 the career assessment tool was launched in the framework of the Human Resources Policy Update Programme. Staff who have worked for BZ for five to seven years are invited to follow this programme, guided by their personnel and management adviser (PMA), to determine their career options over the next five to ten years. The career assessment is added to their personnel file. In 2012 13 career assessments were carried out, fewer than envisaged. This was partly due to a lack of interest among staff and because in these times of major changes and cutbacks it is difficult to make a realistic career assessment. HDPO will therefore carry out a critical assessment of this tool in 2013.
AVT13/BZ108280 20 Part-time work As in 2011, the number of employees working part time dropped slightly. Part-time work is not generally permitted at missions because of the very high costs to the Ministry. In principle it is however possible for staff at missions to take parental leave.
Part-time work 400 341 338 350 311 310 300 s n
o 250 s r e
p 200
f o
r 150 e b 100 m u 30 28 N 50 0 Mannen Vrouwen Totaal
2011 2012
Mannen = Men Vrouwen = Women Totaal = Total
Part-time work (by salary scale and sex) 2012 2011 Payscale Men Women Total Men Women Total 1 to 5 0 2 2 0 2 2 6to9 5 166 171 6 167 173 10and118 55 63 9 54 63 12 and 15 87 102 15 88 103 higher Total 28 310 338 30 311 341 2.14% 23.20% 12.78% 2.29% 23.30% 12.90%
AVT13/BZ108280 21 Part-time work (by sex and number of hours)
2012 2011 Hours/week Men Women Total Men Women Total
Upto18 1 36 37 1 37 38 19–35 27 274 301 29 274 303 Total 28 310 338 30 311 341
Secondments Many BZ staff will be seconded on a regular basis throughout their career. In 2012 around 110 Ministry civil servants were seconded within the Netherlands or abroad. This usually takes place in the form of a regular posting. However, secondments occasionally take the form of unpaid special leave. The guiding principle for secondments abroad is that the conditions of employment are the same as those enjoyed by colleagues with a regular posting at the duty station, provided the receiving organisation is in agreement.
In 2012 the Interministerial Exchange pilot programme for staff in the international sector was continued. Seven ministries took part (Foreign Affairs, Interior & Kingdom Relations, Infrastructure & the Environment, Education, Culture & Science, Social Affairs & Employment, Security & Justice, and Health, Welfare & Sport). BZ made three jobs available to policy officers from other ministries, and seconded three of its staff to other ministries for a two-year period. In late 2012 the Strategic Coordinating Committee on International Affairs (CORIA) approved the continuation of the project. A new round of exchanges will begin in spring 2013.
Secondments within the Netherlands in 2012
Royal Household 5 Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’ 3 Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) 1 Ministry of General Affairs 8 Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations 8 Ministry of Defence 2 Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation 21 Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment 2
AVT13/BZ108280 22 Ministry of Education, Culture and Science 1 Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment 2 Ministry of Security and Justice 2 Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport 1 Service Centre for International Cultural Activities (SICA) 1 Rabobank 1 Shell 1 Total 59
Secondments abroad in 2012 African Development Bank 1 Asian Development Bank 1 Benelux Economic Union 1 European External Action Service (EEAS) 15 EU Delegation 2 European Parliament 1 European Commission 1 Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Oslo 1 Ecole nationale d’administration 1 International Finance Corporation (IFC) 1 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, London 1 Global Partnership for Education, Washington 1 Inter-American Development Bank, Washington 1 Office of the Quartet Representative, Jerusalem 1 Federal Foreign Office (Germany) 1 Ministry of Defence (Spain) 1 Federal Public Service for Justice (Belgium) 1 Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (Ethiopia) 1 Ministry of General Affairs (Aruba) 2 Department of the Taoiseach (Ireland) 1 World Bank 3 NATO 4 United Nations 4
AVT13/BZ108280 23 World Resources Institute (WRI) 1 Total 48
Special leave In 2012 36 civil servants were granted long-term leave. In most cases this was to join a partner posted abroad. Three took up a post at an international organisation and no fewer than eight became members of parliament.
Civil servants on long-term unpaid special leave
Reason Men Women Total 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 Accompanying partner posted abroad 3 4 18 20 21 24 Jobwithinternationalorganisation 2 11 1 3 3 14 Political position 5 2 3 1 8 3 Personal 1 2 3 3 4 5 Total 11 19 25 27 36 46
Civil Service Job Description and Evaluation System (FGR) In 2012 BZ introduced the Civil Service Job Description and Evaluation System. In April all BZ civil servants received an email from HDPO informing them of their job classification in the new system. HDPO spoke at length with around 170 members of staff who had lodged objections to their job classifications. This is roughly the same percentage as for the civil service as a whole. As a result of the dialogue between HDPO and individuals or groups of staff, around 125 objections were withdrawn. At the end of 2012, approximately 45 objections were still under consideration. The Foreign Service Objections Committee will advise on these cases in 2013.
Since its introduction, HDPO has not been treating the job evaluation and description system as a separate project but rather as an integral part of its personnel policy, which includes (strategic) personnel planning, the interview and assessment cycle, and interministerial mobility. The FGR is part of the government-wide portfolio ‘Focus on Quality and Results’, which will be followed up in 2013.
AVT13/BZ108280 24 Smart working 2012 was an eventful year for the smart working project. The pilots at COM, DCM, DDE, DEU and DVF were concluded midway through the year. The results showed that those who took part in the pilots saw more opportunities for remote working. According to the staff satisfaction survey held in October 2011, 67% of BZ staff said that the nature of their job did not allow them to work from any location and/or at any time, whereas only 8% of pilot participants gave that answer. The latter also responded much more positively to the suggestion that flexible working made them more efficient. Although staff appreciated having the opportunity to, for example, work on the train or collect their children from school during office hours, they also had the feeling that they had to be constantly reachable and available, which meant they could not relax. Other issues that arose during the evaluation were the lack of good IT facilities and fewer opportunities for informal contact with colleagues. Staff also felt that BZ’s culture of ‘being seen at the office’ discouraged them from working elsewhere. These points will be considered as smart working is rolled out further.
2012 also saw the completion of the smart working road map ‘Modern Diplomacy, a new way of working’, a plan detailing how smart working will be implemented at BZ between now and the relocation to Rijnstraat in 2016. It also presents BZ-wide principles for smart working. A programme director has been appointed to oversee changes in HR, ICT and accommodation in the years ahead. In December 2012 conversion of the 11th floor of the Ministry in The Hague was completed, making it the first floor to fully apply smart working principles. It is now home to DID, the CIO Office, RSO WEU and – temporarily – our new DGBEB colleagues.
2.4 Diversity policy
General Diversity is essential both because a diverse team produces better results and because BZ wants to establish a balance in its staff complement that reflects the composition of Dutch society. BZ’s definition of ‘diversity’ is a broad one that looks further than gender, origin, age and disability. In order to reach its diversity goals, BZ fosters a culture of inclusivity that brings out the best in all individuals. In 2012 the emphasis was on integrating diversity into the organisational culture through courses, workshops and other events for managers and staff, in some cases targeting a specific audience. Coaching and cross-mentoring activities continued in 2012, and special attention was paid to talent management and to ‘blind’ recruiting (in which
AVT13/BZ108280 25 candidates’ names are removed from their applications, thus obscuring their origin and gender). A revised version of the diversity policy with an action plan was approved by the Senior Management Board in late 2012 and then submitted to the Work Council for its approval. The new version reflects the latest coalition agreement, including efforts to have 30% of positions in scales 15 to 19 filled by women by 2017.
Cultural background BZ is keen to raise the number of civil servants it employs with a bicultural background to 11% to reflect the percentage in Dutch society. In mid-2012, the figure at BZ was 7.9%, representing a slight increase on 2010 (7.7%). The central government average in mid-2012 was 8.4%.
Percentage of BZ and central government staff with a non-Western bicultural background (2007 – mid-2012) Year BZ Central government 2007 8.5 7.9 2008 8.1 8.2 2009 7.9 8.4 2010 7.7 8.3 2011 7.8 8.3 2012(firsthalf) 7.9 8.4
As at other ministries, bicultural civil servants are over-represented at BZ in the lower salary scales and under-represented in the higher salary scales, although BZ is doing better than the other ministries in this respect.
Percentage of BZ and central government staff with a non-Western bicultural background by salary scale (mid-2012) Scale BZ Central government 1-2 - 22.2 3-5 0 15.2 6-8 15.8 11.8 9-11 7.9 6.4 12-14 4.9 3.4 15andhigher 3.2 1.4 Total 7.9 8.4
AVT13/BZ108280 26 In 2011 a disproportionate number of bicultural staff (5.7%) left BZ compared to the number joining (6.9%). As in 2011, BZ facilitated a number of activities organised by the Multicultural Government Network and also provided it with financial assistance, which will be continued until the end of 2013.
Gender The total percentage of women at BZ rose slightly to 50.5% (2011: 50.4%). In 2012 more men than women left the organisation (54% of those leaving were men, compared with 68% in 2011).
Although renewed efforts were made in 2012 to increase the number of female staff in senior positions, the percentage of women in scales 14 to 19 dropped from 24.7% in 2011 to 23.2% in 2012. BZ’s target for 2015 is 30%. The percentage of women in scales 15 to 19 fell from 18.4% in 2011 to 17.6% in 2012. Extra effort will be needed if BZ is to reach the target set by the coalition agreement of 30% women in scales 15 to 19 by 2017.
In 2012 five women ambassadors were appointed, compared with eight in 2011. The total number of female ambassadors is now 17 (13.9%); in 2011 this figure was 21 (16.3%). The drop is due to the fact that a relatively large number of female ambassadors were not reappointed in the 2012 transfer round and the fact that there was little advancement from lower scales. Furthermore, two female ambassadors were appointed to senior positions in The Hague (Secretary-General, ISB), one took a job at the European External Action Service (Head of Delegation, Bogotá) and two retired. It should be noted that – in addition to the 17 female ambassadors mentioned above – there are also six women in charge of independent missions: the Representative to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, three consuls-general and two chargés d’affairs ad interim.
As part of the cross-mentoring programme, five female staff members were guided by mentors from outside the Ministry (compared with eight in 2011) and five BZ mentors guided women from other organisations (compared with seven in 2011).
AVT13/BZ108280 27 Women in senior positions Number Performed Number of Performed of jobs in by women jobs in by women Scale 2012 in 2012 in % 2011 in 2011 in % 13 307 129 42% 316 129 41% 14 150 47 31% 170 57 34% 15 95 17 18% 99 19 19% 16 59 12 20% 58 11 19% 17 40 5 13% 45 8 18% 18 12 3 25% 16 2 13% 19 15 2 13% 16 3 19% Total 678 215 32% 720 229 32%
Age In 2012 the average age of BZ staff rose by six months to 48 years. This is partly because older staff are now working longer and that both young people embarking on their careers and people who are well into their careers are being recruited. At the same time, the abolishment of the requirement that new staff have previous experience has reduced the average age of participants in the basic training course for young diplomats by two years since 2011.
The percentage of staff aged 50 and older is now 45%, compared with 40% in 2008. The percentage of staff younger than 30 is now just 3%, compared with 5% in 2008. Of those staff, the majority are women (59%). Conversely, of staff aged 59 and older, 68% are men. Many older employees (baby boomers) will retire in the next few years.
Average age in years, excluding local staff and staff on unpaid special leave 2012 2011 Increase Men 50.35 49.92 0.9% Women 45.77 45.18 1.3% Total 48.04 47.53 1.1%
AVT13/BZ108280 28 Trends in age profile in percentages, excluding local staff and staff on unpaid special leave Age group 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 29andunder 3% 3% 3% 5% 5% 30–39 17% 19% 21% 23% 25% 40–49 35% 35% 33% 33% 32% 50–59 31% 31% 30% 29% 28% 60+ 14% 13% 12% 11% 9% Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Number of men and women by age category in figures and percentages, excluding local staff and staff on unpaid special leave Age group Number Percentage Number Percentage Total Total of of men 2012 2011 women 29andyounger 31 41% 44 59% 75 79 30–39 147 33% 299 67% 446 516 40–49 392 42% 533 58% 925 944 50–59 490 59% 341 41% 831 833 60–64 243 68% 117 33% 360 350 65+ 5 71% 2 29% 7 3 Total 1,308 49% 1,336 51% 2,644 2,725
Age groups
60 t/m 64
50 t/m 59
e Aantal Mannen g
A 40 t/m 49 Aantal Vrouwen 30 t/m 39
t/m 29
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Percentage
Aantal Mannen = Number of men Aantal Vrouwen = Number of women t/m 29,39etc = up to 29, 39, etc
AVT13/BZ108280 29 Staff with a disability BZ is working towards the government-wide quota of having 1% of the workforce made up of people with poorer job prospects (those falling under the Sheltered Employment Act (WSW), the Work and Employment Support (Young Disabled Persons) Act (WAJONG), and the Work and Income (Capacity for Work) Act (WIA) within the framework of the Employment Capacity Act). BZ currently employs 15 staff members who fall under one of these schemes, representing almost 1% of the BZ staff in the Netherlands to whom the quota applies. According to the new coalition agreement, from 2015 this will be raised to 5% over a period of six years under the new Participation Act, which will replace the Employment Capacity Act on 1 January 2014. Over the next year BZ will look at how it can best achieve this quota.
2.5 Development and training The trend towards customisation continued in 2012. Generally speaking, fewer people are taking part in traditional, generic training courses. Short workshops or courses that take up no more than half a day are currently popular.
In 2012 the DGIS training plan was revised to reflect the new policy priorities. A virtual learning course on ‘New Africa’ was held in English, and was made available on BZ’s learning portal, which facilitates all the Ministry’s e-learning activities. This concept helps encourage civil servants posted abroad, local staff and colleagues from other departments to take part. HDPO is now developing e-learning for the basic training course on international cooperation. In collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the curriculum for economic diplomacy was also revised, and a start was made on developing a self-study e-learning course, in English, on trade and investment promotion.
HDPO and DCM carried out crisis training for consular staff and the crisis helpline team. BZ also started to develop a crisis training course for heads of mission and their deputies.
In late 2012 HDPO and DID established a training plan for the transition to the new digital records system.
Language classes continued in The Hague for the six main languages. 145 BZ staff being transferred to a new location took intensive, tailor-made language training.
AVT13/BZ108280 30 Alongside the standard range of training courses on offer (see table), various team sessions and tailor-made courses on organisational change were arranged at the request of departments and missions. This was prompted by the downsizing of the organisation and the need to focus on new policy priorities. Some 100 members of staff at the three RSOs currently being set up received training to familiarise them with new working methods and forms of collaboration. Together with 3W, in late 2012 work was started on a training course in SSO working methods and service provision.
The policy framework for selection and development in the Leadership programme was updated to place greater emphasis on results-based management and change management. Around 75 people, including senior managers, took part in seven leadership courses.
The lunchtime talent development sessions held in 2012 attracted considerable attention and many participants. The techniques covered, such as mind mapping and brain training, aim to make learning more effective and productive. These activities served as teasers for more in- depth courses on the subject that staff could sign up for afterwards. Staff at the missions were also able to take part in talent development workshops, occasionally on location but mostly via webcam or videoconference.
Certain other activities were also made available to local staff, including the ‘New Africa’ course, an online workshop on making more effective use of social media, the e-learning programme for the interview and assessment cycle and ‘talent-at-the-mission’ coaching.
BZ plays an active role in developing interministerial cooperation. In addition to its participation in the interministerial training platform, BZ also maintains contact with those working on the possible merger of second-line HR activities (including learning and development) as part of the Compact Civil Service programme and the EC O&P. HDPO helped compile a product and service catalogue with a view to the transfer of a limited number of training activities to 3W.
The first course of study for civil servants working in international policy was held in early 2012. The programme, developed in 2011 at the request of the Strategic Coordinating Committee on International Affairs (CORIA), is intended for civil servants with no more than three years’ experience of international policy. It was decided to run a second course in 2013. A number of places on the BZ policy officer basic training course are also still available to participants from
AVT13/BZ108280 31 other ministries. In 2012 21 new BZ civil servants and seven civil servants from other ministries participated in this course. Additionally, a new training programme was designed for new policy officers appointed for a period of seven years, highlighting skills and peer supervision, and including a work placement abroad.
Opleidingen 2008 2008 2009 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 Activiteitssoort Uitv. deelnrs. Uitv. deelnrs. Uitv. deelnrs. Uitv. deelnrs. Uitv. deelnrs. Archief 4 31 4 60 6 52 7 48 1 Automatisering 9 54 9 40 15 46 11 48 11 20 Beleidsthematisch 16 184 28 165 24 224 22 154 29 93 Beveiliging/(pers)veiligheid 18 158 17 85 13 97 19 75 9 12 Consulair 8 98 8 102 11 137 17 154 17 111 Financieel/Bedrijfsvoering 26 225 22 120 24 250 26 207 11 57 Interculturele Vaardigheden 1 30 1 20 1 11 1 14 1 11 Management/leiderschapsprogramma 8 213 24 134 47 571 39 299 18 120 Regulieren Talenklassen 2 250 2 230 2 310 2 212 2 260 Talen individueel nvt 169 nvt 200 nvt 155 nvt 142 nvt 145 Communicatieve Vaardigheden 8 100 10 75 6 53 9 52 8 29 Persoonlijke Effectiviteit 23 111 25 85 23 153 18 135 11 84 Basisopleiding Beleidsmedewerkers BZ 1 20 1 20 1 20 1 22 1 25 Individuele aanvragen en Studiefaciliteiten nvt ** nvt ** nvt ** nvt ** nvt 108 totaal 124 1643 151 1336 173 2079 172 1562 119 1075
** = aantallen niet bekend Opleidingen = Courses Uitv. = Frequency Deelnrs. = Participants Activiteitssoort = Course type Archief = Records management Automatisering = Computer skills Beleidsthematisch = Policy themes Beveiliging/(pers)veiligheid = Security/personal safety Consulair = Consular matters Financieel/Bedrijfsvoering = Financial/operational management Interculturele Vaardigheden = Intercultural skills Management/leiderschapsprogramma = Management/leadership programme Regulieren Taalklassen = Language classes Talen Individueel = Individual language learning Communicatieve Vaardigheden = Communication skills Persoonlijke Effectiviteit = Personal effectiveness Basisopleiding Beleidsmedewerkers BZ = Basic training for BZ policy officers Individuele aanvragen en Studiefaciliteiten = Individual requests and study facilities nvt = n/a Totaal = Total ** aantallen niet bekend = ** figures unknown
AVT13/BZ108280 32 2.6 Family policy When BZ civil servants are posted abroad, it is essential that their partners and families receive proper support, which is why BZ invests a great deal in this area. In 2012 HDPO’s Partners and Children Office started modernising and extending instruments available to partners, with an emphasis on their professional development and employability on their return to the Netherlands. BZ now provides more information to partners before and after the posting and has extended its networks with the business community to help partners find a job. The Ministry has also been working on MoUs with host countries to allow partners the opportunity to work locally while retaining immunity from criminal prosecution.
In 2012 the Partners and Children Office was repositioned, and it adopted a different approach to its target groups. Whereas in the past staff and partners were treated as separate groups, the Office now takes a more integrated approach, stressing the shared responsibility the partners have for each other’s well-being and thus for the success of the posting.
Information sessions are no longer held for partners alone but are now attended by both partners and staff. The information now covers all aspects of the posting abroad. BZ is also developing better information to ensure proper guidance for children before and after a period abroad.
The staff and partner information session held in 2012 for first-time postings once again proved popular, especially among people from other ministries. Staff greatly appreciated being able to attend with their partners. In October a meeting was held for those returning to the Netherlands, again for partners and staff. That same month an information session was organised for staff and their partners considering a posting abroad. The aim was to provide them with information at an early stage, make them aware of what is involved and help them make choices before applying for a vacancy.
In addition, a number of meetings were held specifically for partners to help them think about taking up or resuming employment in the Netherlands, long-term career development and the ‘cycle of change’. In June a special day was organised for the families of staff on a non-family posting.
AVT13/BZ108280 33 In 2012 55 partners received an allowance from the Study Fund, which is being modernised to include a new facility which is more flexible and covers more than just study or training. The aim is to better meet partners’ needs and to invest in all aspects of professional development during the foreign posting and not just on return to the Netherlands. Because language is the key to society and the labour market, extra attention is now being paid to language learning. Non- Dutch-speaking partners coming to the Netherlands for the first time are strongly encouraged to start learning the language during the posting. Two partners obtained an authorisation for temporary stay through the accelerated procedure.
In 2012 BZ again devoted a great deal of attention to helping families choose a school abroad, as well as a school in the Netherlands on their return.
2.7 Working conditions Good working conditions, including a focus on staff’s physical and mental well-being, are a central concern at BZ. The outcome of the inaugural staff satisfaction survey, held in 2011, was used to conduct a risk assessment and evaluation of work-related stress in 2012. This resulted in a specific risk analysis that each department used to identify and address work-related pressure and stress, with the help of medical officers, staff welfare officers and personnel and management advisers where appropriate.
A physical, building-specific risk assessment and evaluation was also carried out. The results will be used to revise BZ’s health, safety and welfare policy during the course of 2013.
The deployment of a reintegration adviser to assist managers who have staff on sickness absence is bearing fruit, especially when it comes to prompt intervention and the correct application of procedures under the Eligibility for Permanent Incapacity Benefit (Restrictions) Act, thus avoiding sanctions by the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV).
Sickness absence levels dropped by almost half a percentage point to 3.02%. The number of staff taking no sickness leave whatsoever rose considerably, to 58.16%.
AVT13/BZ108280 34 Population Absence Absence rate No absence % (%) (frequency) 2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012 BZ civil 2890 2775 3.45 3.02 1.2 1.11 42.21 58.16 servants DGCB 1128 1086 4.92 3.69 1.5 1.11 32.8 35.76 DGES 132 145 4.11 3.97 1.28 1.07 34.08 35.47 DGIS 150 140 4.36 3.36 1.41 1.34 35.76 34 DGIS/DGPZ 149 131 5.69 5.25 1.29 1.28 37.03 34.8 DGPZ 148 134 3.21 2.32 1.54 1.52 30.64 26.79 Missions 1041 985 1.72 1.23 0.9 0.8 51.07 54.17
Personnel policy on HIV/AIDS In 2004 BZ began to introduce a personnel policy on HIV/AIDS at 18 missions in Africa, aimed at staff posted abroad, local staff, domestic staff and their respective families. For staff posted abroad and their families the policy is restricted to information and prevention as Dutch health insurance provides adequate cover for care and treatment. The other target groups are only eligible for the care and treatment programme if local health insurance does not provide properly for this. At the end of 2012, the target group comprised 5,000 people, 49 of whom were receiving medical treatment.
A number of changes were made to the policy on 1 January 2009 to tailor it better to local circumstances. The missions now have a greater responsibility for implementing the policy, and BZ’s external partner organisation now has an advisory role. In 2012 it was confirmed that the personnel policy on HIV/AIDS will be extended to cover the 2013-2016 period. Furthermore, in 2012 a tender was put out for an external partner to assist the missions and HDPO in implementing the policy. BZ decided to continue working with the PharmAccess Foundation. An ongoing priority for all those involved is guaranteeing anonymity. On 1 January 2012 two missions to which the HIV/AIDS policy applied were closed. There were no staff at these missions undergoing treatment.
AVT13/BZ108280 35 Inappropriate behaviour complaints BZ believes it is extremely important for all staff to be able to work in a safe and pleasant environment where they are treated with respect by their colleagues, superiors and subordinates. Where necessary, appropriate measures are taken to prevent and combat inappropriate behaviour.
In mid-2012 Henk van der Vegt succeeded Susanna Terstal as chair of BZ’s Inappropriate Behaviour Complaints Committee. One complaint was submitted in 2012. It was received by HDPO in late 2012 and forwarded to the complaints committee to be handled.
2.8 Honorary consuls Honorary consuls are an important part of the global network of missions. In 2012 305 consulates worldwide had an honorary consul at the helm. Their thorough knowledge of local conditions and their wide-ranging networks are invaluable to BZ. Honorary consuls perform consular tasks and promote economic and cultural relations without pay, in addition to their regular jobs. Since 2009 around 50 consulates have been fitted with biometric equipment required for issuing travel documents and visas.
The fourth conference for honorary consuls and their partners was held in The Hague from 11 to 13 June 2012. Topics of discussion included general political, economic and social developments in the Netherlands, modern diplomacy, reforms within BZ and the mission network, public diplomacy, development cooperation and a variety of consular subjects. In 2012 a fully revised version of the Handbook for Honorary Consuls was published, for the first time in digital form.
AVT13/BZ108280 36 3 Local staff
At the end of 2012, there were 2,256 local staff members in total at the missions, 2,019 of whom were employed by BZ and 237 by other ministries and organisations.
The Ministry recognises the increasing role of local staff in the organisation.The recent memorandum on small missions addresses this issue explicitly and describes specific measures such as translating all key instructions and regulations into English, increasing the range of tasks carried out by local staff – including those of a confidential nature – and assigning them more responsibility, e.g. opening and closing the chancery every day.
The new marker system, agreed with the Ministry’s collective bargaining committee (GO/BZ) in 2011, was first applied in 2012. The salaries and other terms of employment for locally engaged staff are now aligned with those of five fixed markers in the location concerned: the missions of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and the European Union. The marker system was adjusted in the light of the cutbacks imposed by the first Rutte government and the need to reduce the management burden. Naturally, peremptory labour law in force locally will always apply if that is more favourable for the employee concerned.
In 2012 pay scales were sent to heads of mission in 74 countries, for consultation with employee participation bodies. Missions in the remaining countries will receive their pay scales in the first quarter of 2013. In 2012 the employee participation bodies issued 43 positive advisory opinions on the new pay scales as of 1 January 2012 and 11 negative advisory opinions. By the end of 2012, employee participation bodies at 13 missions were still considering the pay scales and had not yet issued an advisory opinion.
In total, pay scales for 42 countries (effective as of 1 January 2012) were fixed after consultations with GO/BZ. The remaining pay scales will be fixed before the summer of 2013. It unfortunately proved impossible to finalise all pay scales as planned in 2012, primarily because the Ministry did not reach agreement with GO/BZ on the new marker system until March 2012. The new system also raised many questions and led to extensive discussion with the employee participation bodies. The process is expected to move much faster from 2013 on.
AVT13/BZ108280 37 As a result of both the new marker system and the global economic crisis, many pay scales were set lower than on 1 January 2011. This means that existing employees will be subject to a pay freeze for the time being. The new pay scales will apply immediately for newly hired staff. The new marker system will be evaluated in 2013, as agreed with GO/BZ.
Adopting and amending mission versions, each with their own country-specific terms of employment, is a demanding and time-consuming process, for the missions as well as HDPO. By the end of 2012, five new permanent mission versions had been adopted, ten new permanent mission versions were pending formal approval and about 40 proposals for amendments to mission versions were under consideration. HDPO has taken measures to clear the backlog by summer 2013.
The new policy with regard to both fixed and open-ended contracts, agreed in 2011, came into effect in 2012. In principle, BZ will offer only fixed employment contracts (valid for up to seven years), unless this is contrary to employment law in force locally. The policy was prompted by the changing organisation of missions, including their tasks and work methods. This also has consequences for the number of local employees required at missions and the job qualifications required. At the same time, missions’ budgets are being sharply reduced, making speed and cost savings even more important in aligning the demand for and availability of local employees. Fixed-term employment contracts can play an important role in this regard. In addition, missions are small organisations that are unable to offer local employees a varied career, increasing the risk that they will become less motivated over time or cannot be optimally deployed because they do not meet evolving job requirements.
As a result of the closure of missions, staff cutbacks at the remaining missions, the digitisation of records and the establishment of RSOs, BZ drew up a number of redundancy programmes in 2012, which were all approved by GO/BZ. Measures provided for in the programmes include redundancy payments and assistance in the process of finding new work, e.g. funding for a retraining course or a business start-up allowance. Heads of mission should play an active role in facilitating such assistance.
AVT13/BZ108280 38 Number of local staff 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008
MinistryofForeignAffairs 2,019 2,093 2,169 2,156 2,057 Ministry of the Interior and 24 23 24 25 27 Kingdom Relations MinistryofDefence 24 27 31 30 30 Ministry of Economic Affairs 86 79 82 85 105 Ministry of Finance 6 6 6 5 6 Ministry of Security and 12 9 11 8 9 Justice Ministry of Education, Culture 2 2 2 3 3 and Science Ministry of Social Affairs and 4 4 4 0 4 Employment Ministry of Infrastructure and 6 6 6 6 6 the Environment Ministry of Health, Welfare and 2 2 2 3 4 Sport Pensions and Benefits Council 0 0 4 5 5 Radboud University Nijmegen 9 9 8 7 0 University of Groningen 0 0 1 1 8 Social Insurance Bank 22 22 19 20 19 Netherlands Foreign 40 39 41 32 0 Investment Agency (NFIA) Other 0 0 0 4 0 Total 2,256 2,321 2,410 2,390 2,283
AVT13/BZ108280 39 4 Conditions of employment and integrity
4.1 Conditions of employment There were no negotiations on a new collective labour agreement for central government in 2012. The first Rutte government’s goal of freezing civil servants’ salaries was thus achieved by default. The Rutte-Asscher government also aims to maintain the pay freeze in the years to come, which has put pressure on negotiations with the trade unions on other matters as well.
Redeployment and redundancy policy The BZ memorandum on redeployment and redundancy policy from 1 January 2012 sets out the measures in place for BZ staff affected by the reorganisations. This memorandum elaborates the framework for redundancy and redeployment policy laid down by the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations at the end of 2011. In effect, all measures under the 2008- 2012 government-wide redundancy and redeployment policy (SFB) will be continued on the basis of the Foreign Service Regulations (RDBZ) and other relevant regulations. However, in contrast to the lapsed SFB, employees may derive no rights from measures under the new framework. The BZ memorandum mentioned above does state that HDPO will continue to apply the policy generously in the years ahead, where this contributes to the achievement of necessary cutbacks.
Twenty-one applications for assistance under this policy were approved in 2012, including reimbursement of training costs to boost external mobility, outplacement and the award of incentive payments to staff leaving BZ voluntarily.
Consultations between the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) and the trade unions on a new SFB stalled in 2012 after the government rejected the outcome of the consultations between the previous Minister and the unions, in part because it conflicted with the government’s plans to cut redundancy payments. The dispute was brought before the Civil Service Advice and Arbitration Committee and consultations were resumed on 7 February 2013 on the basis of the Committee’s advisory opinion.
Public servant status In 2011 two members of the House of Representatives, Fatma Köşer Kaya and Eddie van Hijum, introduced a bill that, if passed, would put an end to the special status of public servants
AVT13/BZ108280 40 under administrative law. Their terms of employment would then be based on the provisions of the Civil Code. In an initial debate in parliament in 2012, several points of criticism were raised in regard to the bill, but there was no clear majority for or against. Further debate was postponed in part due to the elections in September 2012. While the Rutte-Asscher government also intends to pursue the change in public servant status, it is not yet clear whether it will present its own proposal or proceed on the basis of the private member’s bill.
Delayed retirement As of September 2009, all civil servants in central government may stay in their jobs after their 65th birthday, provided they have submitted a request to this end six to three months beforehand (see also ‘Age of retirement’). The request may no longer be refused on the grounds that it is not in the interests of the service.
On 31 December 2012, BZ employed seven civil servants over the age of 65 (five men and two women).
Working beyond the age of 65 does not result in a significantly higher retirement pension. This is because the Vendrik amendment, which provides that an employee’s flexible pension entitlement may be added to his retirement pension, only applies to civil servants who were born before 1950 and have paid ABP Pension Fund contributions without interruption since 1 April 1997, and who retire before the age of 65.
Age of retirement After years of debate, the age of retirement will definitely be raised, starting in 2013. The age at which people receive a state pension will be increased gradually to 66 years in 2018 and 67 years in 2021. Any further increase after that year will depend on the trend in average life expectancy. Staff can find out what their retirement age is under the new rules at http://www.checkuwaowleeftijd.nl.
From now on, termination of employment on reaching the age of retirement will be granted on the first day of entitlement to a state pension (AOW).
AVT13/BZ108280 41 ABP Pension Due to the Pension Fund’s weak financial position (funding level less than 100%) the ABP Governing Board decided, for the fourth consecutive year, not to apply pension indexation in 2013. This impacts on both retired and current employees, as current and future pensions are not adjusted in line with general salary increases within central government. The loss of indexation on pensions now stands at more than 9%.
The Fund’s financial position has also led the Governing Board to cut pension entitlements by 0.5%. The decision applies to both retired and current employees and will take effect from 1 April 2013, depending on the Fund’s financial position at the beginning of 2013. If the Fund’s financial position does not improve, further measures will be necessary in the years to come.
Legislation is being prepared to bolster the Dutch pension system as a whole, so that it can better deal with financial crises like the one the Netherlands is currently experiencing.
Objection and review In 2012 271 notices of objection, including 13 by local staff, were filed by BZ staff with the Foreign Service Objections Committee. The Committee also received one notice of objection from an employee of the Dutch Police Services Agency. The total number of notices of objection received was clearly higher than in 2011 (123) and 2010 (117), but this was because 178 notices of objection related to the Civil Service Job Description and Evaluation System (FGR).
In 2012 122 objections were withdrawn, 96 of which related to the FGR, in some cases after the parties had reached a mutually acceptable solution and, in others, after the disputed decision had been explained in more detail. The Foreign Service Objections Committee advised declaring 34 of the objections inadmissible (31 of which related to the FGR), 16 unfounded and four wholly or partly well-founded. The Secretary-General followed the Committee’s recommendations in almost every case. The remaining 96 objections are still under consideration.
The objections concerned job classifications in the Civil Service Job Description and Evaluation System (178), placements and curtailment/extension of placements (32), financial allowances (17), dismissal (5), old age pension supplements (5), retirement allowances for partners (4), retention on standby (4), assessments (3), leave (3), study support (3), job applications (2),
AVT13/BZ108280 42 repayments (2), allowances for medical expenses (2), damages (2), pay scale (2) and other matters (8).
Six employees, including one employee of another Ministry, applied for judicial review of the decisions on their objections. Two employees instituted appeal proceedings with the Central Appeals Court for Public Service and Social Security Matters.
In 2012 the district courts declared four applications for judicial review unfounded and one application well-founded. The Central Appeals Court for Public Service and Social Security Matters declared one BZ employee’s appeal inadmissible and another unfounded. In 2012 three applications for judicial review were withdrawn.
Foreign Service Allowances and Facilities System 2007 (DBZV 2007) On 12 March 2012 GO/BZ approved a proposal to reduce the cost of travel arrangements and make these more uniform. The new travel policy is incorporated in the Foreign Travel (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Regulations, DBZV 2007 and the Legal Status (Local Staff) Regulations 2005 (Rrlok 2005). The policy provides uniform rules on domestic and foreign travel which apply equally to all BZ officials, local employees and seconded staff. The new rules also apply, mutatis mutandis, to attachés and their local staff. The main change concerns the class of travel. In principle, BZ officials must fly economy class, for instance for their annual home leave. Business class is only allowed in the case of: - official travel, transfer to a new duty station or recuperation leave (from a duty station in zone 14 or 15), if the flying time is more than five hours; or - repatriation for medical reasons where HDPO considers flying economy class inadvisable.
Restrictions on the number of items of luggage allowed for travel to a new duty station or home leave have been scrapped. Regardless of the airline’s luggage allowance policy, BZ will cover the cost of accompanying luggage up to the following weight limits, per person: 30 kg (annual leave), 40 kg (transfer to a new duty station) or 80 kg (temporary placement at a mission). The 40 kg luggage allowance for transfer to a new duty station now also applies to children under two years.
AVT13/BZ108280 43 Partners who have chosen not to accompany the BZ official to the duty station for a reason not recognised as valid are entitled to one flight per year for the purpose of family reunification. Under this provision the partner may visit the duty station or the BZ official may travel to the partner.
Travel and accommodation expenditure must be approved by the budget holder to whose budget the costs are charged. This is usually the head of mission or director of the department concerned, although HDPO is responsible for decisions concerning annual home leave. Budget holders are competent to decide on trip duration, class of travel, requests to extend a trip for private reasons and the amount of the daily subsistence allowance, naturally within the limits of prevailing BZ travel policy.
Employee Participation (Missions) Regulations The Employee Participation (Missions) Regulations were amended in April 2011 at the request of a number of heads of mission and mission participation bodies, so that they can arrange the employee participation process themselves, by mutual agreement and with the Secretary- General’s approval, in a way that takes better account of their common needs. All the missions in a given country can now decide, for instance, to set up a joint mission council. So far, only the missions in France, Germany and South Africa have done so.
Retirement allowance scheme for partners of BZ officials posted abroad This scheme (‘Regeling Oudedagsvoorziening partners uitgezonden amtenaren’), introduced on 1 January 2008, allows BZ officials who are posted abroad to claim a taxable allowance to help cover costs they or their partner based at the duty station have incurred in order to provide for pension payments to the partner, periodically or as a one-off payment, on reaching the age of 60 or thereafter. The allowance is 200% of any costs incurred on or after 1 January 2008, up to a maximum of €2,081 (gross) per calendar year. The allowance enables partners to build up their own pension. In 2012 184 such allowances were paid.
Collective bargaining committee (GO/BZ) In 2012 the Secretary-General held three formal consultations with GO/BZ. There were also ten informal meetings between HDPO/AR and GO/BZ. In addition, the written consultation procedure was used on numerous occasions, both to maintain momentum and for practical reasons.
AVT13/BZ108280 44 Consultations on civil servants’ conditions of employment came to a temporary standstill between late August and mid-December, owing to a difference of opinion between the four trade unions and the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations on the redeployment and redundancy policy. At the Secretary-General’s request, talks on local employees’ conditions of employment resumed after a short pause in mid-October.
In 2012 the topics discussed by GO/BZ included: government reforms and cutbacks, the redundancy and redeployment policy, travel policy, the amendment of the Foreign Service Regulations in connection with the digital provision of salary slips and the annual salary statement, strategic personnel policy, the planned closure of missions and opening of RSOs and the accompanying redundancy programmes for local staff, the redundancy programme for local staff affected by the digitisation of records, changes to the system for determining pay scales of local staff, the adoption and amendment of numerous mission versions (including pay scales), and the participation of local staff in the development or amendment of regulations affecting them.
Performance-related pay In 2012 one-off bonuses were awarded to some 23% of BZ staff, primarily for excellent performance. In addition 29 employees received a one-off bonus related to official trips to Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia. The total percentage of staff awarded one-off bonuses was 24.54%. As in previous years, this was below the 25% maximum stipulated in the central government guidelines.
A proportional number of one-off bonuses were awarded to employees in pay scales 6-10 and 11-14, but not in the other two scale categories. There are only 11 staff members in scales 1-5, divided over several departments, only one of whom received a bonus. The number of bonuses awarded in pay scales 15 and higher was also, again, relatively low.
Only a very small number of one-off bonuses were higher than one month’s salary.
Extra pay in the form of a periodic bonus or extra increment was awarded in only a limited number of cases.
AVT13/BZ108280 45 Scale One-off bonuses Number of staff Percentage 1-5 1 11 9.09% 6-10 235 942 24.95% 11-14 363 1316 26.67% 15+ 44 306 14.38% Total 2,620 643 24.54%
4.2 Integrity Integrity processes are continually addressed within the organisation. This is as it should be, given BZ’s position in society and the importance the public attaches to integrity issues. Occasionally, the media report on breaches or alleged breaches of integrity. This does not automatically imply any shortcomings in the integrity of the organisation as a whole. Every organisation relies on its employees, some of whom may not always fully comply with existing codes of conduct. Suspected cases of unethical behaviour are always investigated and appropriate measures are taken if an employee’s conduct is found to have fallen short of integrity standards. In 2012 three civil servants and four local staff members incurred disciplinary action, comprising one written reprimand, one salary-related sanction and five dismissals. The number of disciplinary measures imposed in 2012 was lower than in previous years.
Integrity awareness starts during the induction days for new staff. Based in part on an analysis of the results of the 2011 staff satisfaction survey, BZ is examining which supplementary measures should be introduced to maintain a high level of integrity awareness. The BZ Code of Conduct on Integrity, originally published in 2004, was updated at the end of 2012. The revised Code is entitled ‘Think before you act’ and devotes more attention to the relationship between integrity and staff members’ freedom of speech, especially in regard to social media. At a well- attended ‘town hall’ meeting about this issue, staff were able to openly discuss the influence of social media on the organisation and BZ employees.
The Ministry’s confidential advisers (Marion Alhadeff and Scot Cowan) are always there for staff members who want to talk in confidence about integrity issues, including inappropriate behaviour. Many missions have their own confidential adviser, designated by the head of
AVT13/BZ108280 46 mission. Depending on the nature of the issue, staff members can also talk to a senior staff member, HDPO or FEZ, the Central Integrity Coordinator at the Security, Crisis Management and Integrity Department (VCI) or a BZ medical officer.
By the end of 2012, 78 staff members had registered a total of 94 outside activities. With reference to the disclosure clause in the Foreign Service Regulations pertaining to outside activities reported by the Secretary-General and the Directors-General, the following civil servants have reported the following activities, which have been deemed acceptable. - Renée Jones-Bos (Secretary-General): adviser to the Roosevelt Foundation and Director of the Royal Dutch Scientific Society (KHMW); - Karel van Oosterom (Director-General for Political Affairs): member of the audit committee of a homeowners’ association; - Rob Swartbol (Director-General for International Cooperation): member of the Advisory Committee of the Nexus Institute.
AVT13/BZ108280 47 5 The Organisation
See organisation chart on page 57
Political leaders and senior civil servants Minister of Foreign Affairs Uri Rosenthal (up to 13 November 2012) Frans Timmermans (as of 13 November 2012) Minister for European Affairs and Ben Knapen (up to 13 November 2012) International Cooperation Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Lilianne Ploumen (as of 13 November 2012) Cooperation
SG Secretary-General, Ed Kronenburg (up to 2 July 2012) Renée Jones-Bos (as of 2 July 2012) DGCB Director-General for Consular Affairs and Operational Management (and Deputy Secretary-General), Monique van Daalen DGES Director-General for European Cooperation, Robert de Groot DGIS Director-General for International Cooperation, Rob Swartbol DGPZ Director-General for Political Affairs, Karel van Oosterom DGBEB Director-General for Foreign Economic Relations, Simon Smits (as of 5 November 2012)
Departments and units AVT Translation Department BPZ Political Affairs Section BSG/AL Office of the Secretary-General/Ministers and Senior Management CBI Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries CIO Office of the Chief Information Officer DID Information Services Department COM Communications Department DAF Sub-Saharan Africa Department DAM North Africa and Middle East Department DAO Asia and Oceania Department
AVT13/BZ108280 48 DCM Consular Affairs and Migration Policy Department DDE Sustainable Economic Development Department DEC Effectiveness and Coherence Department DEU European Affairs Department DHF Real Estate and Facilities Management Department DIE European Integration Department DJZ Legal Affairs Department DKP Protocol Department DME Environment, Water, Climate and Energy Department DMM Multilateral Organisations and Human Rights Department DSH Stabilisation and Humanitarian Aid Department DSO Social Development Department DVB Security Policy Department DWH Western Hemisphere Department FEZ Financial and Economic Affairs Department FSU Forward Strategy Unit HDPO Human Resources Department ICE International Cultural Policy Unit IOB Policy and Operations Evaluation Department ISB Inspection and Evaluation Unit VCI Security, Crisis Management and Integrity Department
Embassies Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Abuja, Nigeria Accra, Ghana Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Algiers, Algeria Amman, Jordan Ankara, Turkey Astana, Kazakhstan Athens, Greece Baghdad, Iraq Baku, Azerbaijan
AVT13/BZ108280 49 Bamako, Mali Bangkok, Thailand Beijing, China Beirut, Lebanon Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro Berlin, Germany Bern, Switzerland Bogotá, Colombia Brasilia, Brazil Bratislava, Slovakia Brussels, Belgium Budapest, Hungary Buenos Aires, Argentina Bucharest, Romania Bujumbura, Burundi Cairo, Egypt Canberra, Australia Caracas, Venezuela Colombo, Sri Lanka Copenhagen, Denmark Cotonou, Benin Dakar, Senegal Damascus, Syria Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Dhaka, Bangladesh Doha, Qatar Dublin, Ireland Guatemala City, Guatemala Hanoi, Vietnam Harare, Zimbabwe Havana, Cuba Helsinki, Finland Islamabad, Pakistan Jakarta, Indonesia
AVT13/BZ108280 50 Juba, South Sudan Kabul, Afghanistan Kampala, Uganda Khartoum, Sudan Kjiv, Ukraine Kigali, Rwanda Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Kuwait City, Kuwait La Paz, Bolivia Lima, Peru Lisbon, Portugal Ljubljana, Slovenia London, United Kingdom Luanda, Angola Lusaka, Zambia Luxembourg, Luxembourg Madrid, Spain Managua, Nicaragua Manila, Philippines Maputo, Mozambique Mexico City, Mexico Moscow, Russia Muscat, Oman Nairobi, Kenya New Delhi, India Nicosia, Cyprus Oslo, Norway Ottawa, Canada Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Panama City, Panama Paramaribo, Suriname Paris, France Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
AVT13/BZ108280 51 Prague, Czech Republic Pretoria, South Africa Pristina, Kosovo Rabat, Morocco Riga, Latvia Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Rome, Italy San José, Costa Rica San’a, Yemen Santiago de Chile, Chile Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina Seoul, South Korea Singapore, Singapore Skopje, Macedonia Sofia, Bulgaria Stockholm, Sweden Tallinn, Estonia Tbilisi, Georgia Tehran, Iran Tel Aviv, Israel Tirana, Albania Tokyo, Japan Tripoli, Libya Tunis, Tunisia Valletta, Malta Vatican City, Vatican City (Embassy to the Holy See in Rome) Vienna, Austria Vilnius, Lithuania Warsaw, Poland Washington DC, United States of America Wellington, New Zealand Zagreb, Croatia Total: 112
AVT13/BZ108280 52 Consulates-general Antwerp, Belgium Cape Town, South Africa Chicago, United States of America Dubai, United Arab Emirates Düsseldorf, Germany Guangzhou, China Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Hong Kong, China Istanbul, Turkey Miami, United States of America Milan, Italy Mumbai, India Munich, Germany New York, United States of America Osaka, Japan Rio de Janeiro, Brazil San Francisco, United States of America São Paulo, Brazil Shanghai, China St Petersburg, Russian Federation Sydney, Australia Toronto, Canada Vancouver, Canada
Total: 23
Permanent missions to international organisations Abuja (Nigeria), ECOWAS* Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), African Union* Bangkok (Thailand), ESCAP* Brussels (Belgium), EU and NATO Cairo (Egypt), League of Arab States* Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), EAC*
AVT13/BZ108280 53 Geneva (Switzerland), UN, Conference on Disarmament*, WTO*, IOM* and Red Cross* Jakarta (Indonesia), ASEAN* Pretoria (South Africa), SADC* London (United Kingdom), IMO* Lusaka (Zambia), COMESA* Madrid (Spain), UNWTO* Nairobi (Kenya), UNEP* and UN Habitat* New York (United States of America), UN Paris (France), OECD and UNESCO* Ramallah (Palestinian Territories), UNRWA* Rome (Italy), FAO, WFP* and IFAD* Strasbourg (France), Council of Europe The Hague (the Netherlands), OPCW, ICC* Vienna (Austria), OSCE, UN*, IAEA* and UNIDO* Washington DC (United States), OAS*
* housed in the embassy, permanent mission, permanent delegation or permanent representation
Total: 34
Other representations Almaty (Kazakhstan), Embassy Office (honorary consulate as of 1 August 2012) Jerusalem (Israel), Netherlands Information Office Juba (South Sudan), Joint Donor Office Ramallah (Palestinian Territories), Mission to the Palestinian Authority
Total: 4
Regional Support Offices (RSO) RSO Asia, Malaysia RSO China, China RSO North America and the Caribbean region, United States RSO Central and South America, Chile
AVT13/BZ108280 54 RSO Southern Africa, South Africa RSO Western Europe, the Netherlands
Total: 6
In addition there are 305 consulates headed by an honorary consul.
AVT13/BZ108280 55 Published by: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Human Resources Department P.O. Box 20061 | 2500 EB Den Haag www.rijksoverheid.nl
Overall coordination: Andrea van Wijck Editor: Paul Keij Cover photo: Wilma Bergveld, Fotowerkgroep Silhouet, Wassenaar
Layout: vijfkeerblauw | Rijswijk Printed by: vijfkeerblauw | Rijswijk
© Ministry of Foreign Affairs | March 2013
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