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Bangladesh is one of 36 countries with which the Netherlands has
a long-term bilateral development co-operation relationship. The
development co-operation between the two countries began shortly
after independence in 1971. By 2000, the Netherlands had
contributed some 1.36 billion Euro. In recent years disbursement
levels were between 35 and 45 million Euro.
During the 1970s support towards re-launching the economy of a
war-ravaged Bangladesh was emphasised, and in the 1980s
increased attention was given to activities that directly
addressed poverty. The first half of the 1990s showed a
substantial increase in project support to social sectors and
aid through NGOs. Since 1997 the program focuses on social
sectors, i.e.
Primary Health Care,
(including nutrition and population welfare) and
Basic Education,
as well as
Integrated Water Resources
Management,
(IWRM).
An important element of the current development co-operation
policy of the Netherlands is the
sectoral approach.
Another important aspect of increasing the effectiveness of
development co-operation is the emphasis on poverty reduction
strategies. The Netherlands attaches great value to the
formulation of a thorough comprehensive poverty reduction
strategy that reflects the views of the society at large and can
give the necessary direction and focus to the poverty
alleviation activities of all development partners. We welcome
the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and look forward to
assist with its implementation.
Good governance and respect for human rights are prerequisites
for reaching the Millenium Development Goals. Improving
governance is the key challenge for Bangladesh to safeguard and
build on its developmental gains of the last decades. The
Netherlands attaches great importance to the fight against
corruption, democratisation and improvement of the human
security, with a special focus on the empowerment of women.
One of the major bottlenecks for wider implementation of
sectoral approaches in Bangladesh is the budget allocation
system, notably the disconnection between the Annual Development
Plan and the Revenue Budget. The Netherlands shares the view of
the Government of Bangladesh that improvement of budget and
control procedures are crucial for effective governance. The
Royal Netherlands Embassy therefore co-funds the Financial
Management Reform Program of the Ministry of Finance, with DFID. |
