Results Security & the Rule of Law 2014
Dutch investment: €309 million

https://www.facebook.com/NederlandCrisisgebieden

HUMAN SECURITY

State Fragility 2014
Ukraine

least to most fragile

Almost 825 hectares cleared of explosives
Prevented escalation in Central African Republic by financing
police salaries and demobilising militias
Trained almost 10,000 peacekeepers. Contributed to increase
in female peacekeepers through special training programme

source Fragile State Index (Fund for Peace)

Countries with significant Dutch programme
Syria
Lebanon

Tunisia

RULE OF LAW
Afghanistan

Iraq

PT
Jordan

Pakistan

Libya

INCLUSIVE POLITICAL PROCESSES

Mali

Facilitated agreement between Tunisian political parties to
respect outcome of parliamentary elections
Backed negotiations between Colombian government and
armed rebels
Supported 47 local mediation initiatives in Kenya

Yemen
Ethiopia

Nigeria
CAR

Central America

Somalia

South Sudan

LEGITIMATE & CAPABLE GOVERNMENT

Trained 800 women who stood for election in Indonesia
Implemented new approach to minimise electoral violence in
Nigeria
Supported return of formal government to 25 liberated
districts in Somalia

Uganda

Sierra Leone/Liberia

Kenya
DRC
Rwanda

SOCIAL & ECONOMIC RECONSTRUCTION

Burundi
Colombia

Legal aid provided to 14,000 people in Gaza and the West Bank
(58% women)
Human rights violations documented for future justice in Syria
and Yemen
Almost 1,700 complaints of domestic violence filed under new
law in Afghanistan

Colombia

Indonesia

Created more than 4,300 jobs in fragile states
Financed school enrolment for more than 5,500 girls and
3,000 boys in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Results Security & the Rule of Law 2014
There is a global trend towards greater insecurity and instability, which is especially acute in the
‘ring of instability’ surrounding Europe. This is both a security and a development issue, since
conflict both results from and causes poverty, underdevelopment and marginalisation. Conflict is
also linked to radicalisation, insecurity, migration flows and humanitarian crises. Public wellbeing
in fragile states and conflict-affected areas is a major concern. The Netherlands is addressing both
current conflicts and their root causes. While it is difficult to show results in an area where success
is defined as the absence of crisis, a focus on prevention remains important to avoid human misery
and reduce the costs of alleviating it.
Since the Netherlands cannot change global dynamics on its own, cooperation with other states
and through international organisations is essential. Partly thanks to our efforts, security and the
rule of law now has a prominent place on the international development agenda as Sustainable
Development Goal 16: Peace & Justice. Our advocacy of the comprehensive approach has also
helped ensure its inclusion in EU, UN and NATO policy.

Human security
Land mines and explosives, violent militias and even state security agencies are ruining the lives
of men, women and children in fragile states. The Netherlands remains a leader in the removal
of mines and explosive remnants of war. For example, in 2014 we funded demining on routes
to refugee camps in Dohuk (Iraq) and the education of Syrian and Iraqi refugees on the risks of
different types of unexploded ordinance, to help prepare them for their return.
The Netherlands often works through multilateral channels, especially in countries where we are
not directly present. Through UNDP we helped de-escalate a dangerous situation in the Central
African Republic (CAR) by temporarily funding police salaries and disarming and demobilizing
militias around Bangui. Peacekeeping is another key way to enhance human security in conflict
areas. The Netherlands is a leading contributor to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali. We have
trained almost 10,000 peacekeepers from Burundi1 and Uganda, nearly all of whom are or will be
deployed in Somalia with the African Union mission. There is also a special programme to train
women for peacekeeping.

and reconciliation are often vital to prevent future conflicts, so transitional justice will become
increasingly important in our work on the rule of law.

Inclusive political processes
Results on peace and security can be achieved by finding a diplomatic solution to a conflict before
it turns violent or by reaching a political settlement after it breaks out. However, a political solution
can often best be found by financing independent actors with appropriate expertise who can
mediate effectively. Peace processes in which NL acted as mediator are delicate. Therefore not all
successes can be published; this would harm the process or breach the mediators’ confidentiality.
In 2014 the Netherlands supported 1) the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, which achieved
significant results in Tunisia and the Philippines, 2) the Organization of American States, which
is mediating between the Colombian government and one of the armed rebel groups, and 3)
UNDP, which launched the Bangui process in the CAR. Alongside these successes there are several
countries where no diplomatic solution has been reached yet, such as Syria, Afghanistan, South
Sudan and Ukraine. We will continue working with our partners in these countries.

Legitimate & capable government
Governments should deliver essential services and be accountable to their peoples. Since the
revolution in 2011, the Netherlands has supported Tunisia, which has so far held three peaceful
elections and adopted a new constitution after a national dialogue led by the International Institute
for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). Among the candidates in the country’s 2014
parliamentary elections were 63 alumni of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy
(NIMD) School of Politics, of whom 10 were elected and three became ministers. In Indonesia
800 women stood for office after political training. In south-central Somalia we facilitated the
restoration of local government in previously lawless districts. Nigeria held peaceful presidential
elections in February 2015, thanks partly to a Dutch-funded system established in 2014 that
predicts the risk of electoral violence in different regions so that government bodies can ensure fair
and peaceful votes. The system is now being set up in other countries.

Rule of law

Social & economic reconstruction

Building effective justice institutions is a precondition for long-term stability. In 2014 the
Netherlands gave vulnerable people – victims of domestic violence in Afghanistan, sexual assault
victims in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and women in the Palestinian
Territories – access to local justice institutions, and helped strengthen such institutions in
Afghanistan, Mali and Rwanda. In Central America violence against women and human trafficking
was reduced. In Nicaragua crime due to youth violence was reduced by 50%.
Our support to transitional justice institutions like the Special Criminal Court in the CAR helped
victims of large-scale violations claim their rights. Evidence of major human rights violations in
Syria and Yemen is also being gathered for future proceedings. Punishment for past violations

To reduce violence and foster recovery and stability, the Netherlands supported job creation
and improvements to basic public services. In 2014 more than 4,300 jobs were created and the
establishment of small and medium-size enterprises was supported in a dozen fragile states. We
assisted in upgrading the education of 710,000 children in 14 conflict affected countries, financing
school enrolment for 5,500 girls and 3,000 boys in Afghanistan and Pakistan and giving 14,500
people access to clean water in South-Sudan.

1
The training of Burundian troops under the ACOTA programme has been suspended in 2015 due to
political developments in Burundi.