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NL African climate summit: much-discussed carbon credits are not a panacea
Photo: Attendees at the African Climate Summit in Nairobi - Flickr / Paul Kagame This month, African Union members met to form a common position on climate policy ahead of COP28. Carbon credits were a focus point. Governments see a lot of potential in this system, but there are many legitimate criticisms. [...]
The Netherlands and feminist foreign policy: opportunities for progress
Photo: Ministers Wopke Hoekstra and Liesje Schreinemacher, Wikimedia Commons In 2014, Sweden became the first country in the world to implement feminist foreign policy (FBB). Several countries followed, and on 13 May 2022, Minister Wopke Hoekstra (CDA) and Minister Liesje Schreinemacher (VVD), also announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was going to explicitly commit [...]
Niger coup shows: fairer policies to Africa are needed
Photo: Wikimedia Commons The Nigerian presidential guard detained democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum on 26 July, only to launch a military coup. In a television broadcast, senior officers from various branches of the defence and security forces announced that they had formed a junta. A Nigerian army spokesman shared, "The defence [...]
How do we do deal with migration?
The shipwreck off the Greek coast that killed hundreds of people last week is the deadliest accident in the Mediterranean in years. This is yet another maritime disaster as a result of European migration policies. For instance, many illegal pushbacks of migrants take place by the European border agency FRONTEX and by southern European countries themselves. [...]
Thaw the frozen search for Russian property
On 4 May, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky came to the Netherlands. Besides a nice symbolic moment, the visit actually served a purpose. First, Zelensky called for the formation of a tribunal against Russian war criminals. His second request: provide more military support. The Ukrainian president has been pleading for the latter for some time and to [...]
Undertake some responsibility
Ten years ago in Bangladesh, the Rana Plaza garment factory, where major brands like Mango and Primark had their clothes made, collapsed, killing more than a thousand people. A major global shock wave full of outrage followed and the question of corporate responsibility became the focus of discussion. Since then, steps have been taken [...]
Growing shouldn't bother you so much
Last Monday, the IPCC released its latest report on the current state of the climate. A brief summary: global warming of 1.5 degrees is almost inevitable, but if drastic action is taken now, it is not too late. One of the common causes of all climate problems is our constant drive [...]
International Women's Day: International issues need female leadership
Belarusian activist Tasha Arlova gives a lecture in The Hague, 2022. Photo: FMS Today is International Women's Day. On this day, we reflect on the emancipation of women in our society, and stand in solidarity with women and other marginalised groups fighting for equal rights worldwide. International Women's Day is observed every year on 8 [...]
Resistance from the sinking island
Wherever you look, climate change is a topic that comes up everywhere. However, some countries are hit harder by its effects than others. One place where this is very evident is the small island state of Vanuatu. To hold Western countries accountable for this, a coalition of 18 countries led by [...]
Throw that development aid through the letterbox...
The Netherlands and tax haven, two words you increasingly hear in the same sentence. A total of 55 of the 100 largest companies are based in the Netherlands for tax reasons. The tax evaded by these companies through the Netherlands has many adverse effects on African countries, among others, to which the Netherlands gives development cooperation. To combat this tax evasion [...]
