Historical overview of development policies and institutions in the Netherlands, in the context of private sector development and (productive) employment creation Agnieszka Kazimierczuk ASC Working Paper 122 / 2015 Agnieszka Kazimierczuk African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
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[email protected] Website http://www.ascleiden.nl Agnieszka Kazimierczuk, 2015 2 Historical overview of development policies and institutions in the Netherlands, in the context of private sector development and (productive) employment creation Agnieszka Kazimierczuk Abstract This paper reviews the Dutch development cooperation policies for the years 1949-2015 with particular attention for private sector development (PSD). Over the years, poverty alleviation, private sector development and security have been dominant focus areas of Dutch development cooperation, with PSD taking a central role as it was assumed that poverty could only be alleviated when a country’s economy is stimulated. Therefore, the Dutch government has been strongly supporting policies and initiatives stimulating PSD in the Netherlands and in developing countries. The long history of Dutch development cooperation shows continuity in its approach towards development policy as a way of promoting Dutch businesses and export in developing countries. Introduction This paper reviews Dutch development cooperation policies for the years 1949-2015 with particular attention for private sector development (PSD). Moreover, this appraisal examines a potential role for Dutch development policies in creating an enabling environment for the ‘home’ (Dutch) and ‘host’ (recipient) private sector to generate (productive) employment. Since the end of the Second World War, the Netherlands has been an active supporter of international development aid.