| Country | Netherlands |
| Duration | Start 1 January, 2016 till 31 December, 2016 |
| Policy field(s) |
Inter-municipal co-operation Intergovernmental relations |
| Partners |
VNG, Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten - |
| Funding | VNG, Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten |
The wider objective of the project is to strengthen the capacities of Netherlands municipalities in the field of (their) international affairs. Approximately three quarters of all Netherlands municipalities are in some way active in the international (municipal) arena. Where municipal international activities were predominantly driven by international development cooperation, a shift towards international economic cooperation and sustainability has become visible in the past decade. On behalf of VNG, VNG International lobbies for political support for the international work of Netherlands municipalities, while at the same time it provides a platform and a range of services to these municipalities.
The 'Beleidsopdracht' is carried out annually.
Strategic themes of the policy assignment are:
1. Renewal of governance: Vitalising and strengthening of Dutch local democracy in a global context
2. Development cooperation policy: Strategic international development policy and international partnership
3. Innovation and local economic and social development: interantional aspects of economic development
4. Sustainability: Global Goals
5. Global urban agenda
This year we will give insight in the opportunities on international level for Dutch municipalities and the expertise centers of VNG, along three pillars:
Information and advise: access to knowledge about and relations between international agendas and municipal powers and responsibilities. Primariliy on the sustainable development goals, disaster risk reduction and prevention agenda, climate change and the urban agenda.
Analysis: access to international networks, trends and examples and thus feeding into policy debates and implementation in the Netherlands
International promotion of strong features of Dutch local governance: exporting innovative examples of VNG and Dutch local governments
There is made a division between activities around "policy and governance" and "products and services": policy and governance activities are more geared towards national, European and international advocacy around the strategic themes, whereas products and services are directly targeted at the municipalities and VNG expertise centers, such as the Global Goals municipality campaign, monthly newsletters, advisory services to municipalities etc.
The 'Beleidsopdracht' is carried out annually.
Strategic themes of the policy assignment are:
1. Renewal of governance: Vitalising and strengthening of Dutch local democracy in a global context
2. Development cooperation policy: Strategic international development policy and international partnership
3. Innovation and local economic and social development: interantional aspects of economic development
4. Sustainability: Global Goals
5. Global urban agenda
This year we will give insight in the opportunities on international level for Dutch municipalities and the expertise centers of VNG, along three pillars:
Information and advise: access to knowledge about and relations between international agendas and municipal powers and responsibilities. Primariliy on the sustainable development goals, disaster risk reduction and prevention agenda, climate change and the urban agenda.
Analysis: access to international networks, trends and examples and thus feeding into policy debates and implementation in the Netherlands
International promotion of strong features of Dutch local governance: exporting innovative examples of VNG and Dutch local governments
There is made a division between activities around "policy and governance" and "products and services": policy and governance activities are more geared towards national, European and international advocacy around the strategic themes, whereas products and services are directly targeted at the municipalities and VNG expertise centers, such as the Global Goals municipality campaign, monthly newsletters, advisory services to municipalities etc.