Anti-aid Dutch minister set to attend Nairobi donors forum

A European minister opposed to giving aid to Kenya is set to attend a global conference in Nairobi later this month-- where government officials are expected to pitch the case for more aid and development assistance.

Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Co-operation Lilianne Ploumen will attend the second high level meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC), which is set to be held in Nairobi between November 28 and December 1.

The high profile conference comes three months after the Dutch government said Kenya will not receive financial assistance from the European nation beginning 2020.

GPEDC is an inclusive global forum that helps governments, businesses and civil society to work better together to end poverty.

During the conference, Ms Ploumen, who has advocated against giving Kenya aid in favour of trade, is expected to make the case for countries moving away from financial assistance to trade relations with developing countries like Kenya.

Neighbouring countries Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan are classified as least developed nations that qualify for concessionary aid.

Interestingly, Kenya is on the other hand expected to push for fresh commitment and increased Official Development Aid beyond the 28-member Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development at the forthcoming global summit.

Ms Ploumen has been co-chair of the global forum, which influences governments, companies, civil society and philanthropic organisations to co-operate more effectively in the fight against extreme poverty and inequality.

READ: No Dutch aid for Kenya after 2020, minister tells parliament

Around 160 governments and 55 companies and organisations are part of the GPEDC. The Nairobi summit is expected to attract about 3,000 delegates, including heads of state and government.

It is the second such conference after the first one held in Mexico in April 2014.

“These last years, Minister Ploumen as co-chair of the GPEDC has successfully pushed for a better alignment of the GPEDC with the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As Minister for ‘Aid and Trade’ she has accomplished to increase the commitment from the private sector and NGOs, leading to partnerships between different actors now having a central role in the work of the GPEDC,” said a statement from the Netherlands Embassy in Nairobi.

Treasury secretary Henry Rotich had earlier said Kenya would make a case for having more countries set aside funds for ending poverty during the conference.

While announcing dates for the upcoming conference, Mr Rotich noted it is important that the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), the private sector, non-governmental organisations, philanthropists and civil society are actively included in the global forum.

“We want to come up with a document on how non-traditional partners can work to increase the pool of funds (for development),” Rotich said.

“We want to bring all these actors together so we reduce overlaps and duplication on project financing.”

The conference, he said, will contribute to implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda in July 2015 and achievement of the UN-led Sustainable Development Goals.

READ: Kenya and the Netherlands chart new diplomatic path

The Dutch Government has justified the plans to freeze aid to Kenya citing “significant” economic growth in the past decade that has turned the East African state into a middle-income country.

“This, I must say, is a positive development because it is the result of the progress Kenya has made in recent years. We are not, in any way, saying goodbye to Kenyan friends. To the contrary, our aim is to cultivate an even stronger relationship on a more equal footing,” Ms Ploumen has explained.

The Netherlands assistance to Kenya has been concentrated in supporting food security programmes, governance and human rights, improvement of the business climate, environmental conservation, sanitation as well as culture and sports.

Referring to Kenya as a “middle income country,” Ms Ploumen said in an 11-page statement to the Dutch Parliament in September that the Kenyan economy had grown significantly over the past decade moving out of the bracket of the more “needy” nations.

“The government wants to focus when choosing new partners in the group of countries that our aid is most needed: the Least Developed Countries. ODA (overseas development aid) is most relevant in these countries and there it can make the biggest difference,” Ms Ploumen said.

In 2013, the amount of Dutch bilateral aid to Kenya stood at EUR 25 million (Sh2.8 billion).

This has gradually decreased to EUR 15 million (Sh1.6 billion) in 2016 and will be phased out by the end of 2020.