For info on the call for proposals of the Civil Society for Democratic Governance Facility, please check Nieuws

Good governance is key to fostering democracy, human rights and poverty reduction.  The Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE) has the following strategy in governance: working with both the public sector institutions and the civil society as well as the private sector.

Policies and Programmes

The respect, and continuous promotion of human rights is a fundamental character of Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE) in Nairobi within its governance program. The RNE grants to its best ability diverse support to state and non state actors working for the protection and promotion of human rights in the country. Respect for human rights is an essential area within the governance strategy of the embassy.

In 2003, RNE joined Governance, Justice, Law and Order Sector Reform (GJLOS) programme. The programme is led by the Kenyan government as part of its Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation, 2003-2007. GJLOS was launched in November 2003 and will be implemented over the next coming years. Its vision is: ‘A Safe, Secure, Democratic, Just, Corruption-free and Prosperous Kenya for All’ (see www.gjlos.co.ke). RNE is member of the multi-donor basket fund. The programme will end in 2009.

Other basket funds for the development and improvement of governance standards include the National Civic Education Programme (NCEP II), which provides support to civil society organisations in consolidating a vibrant democratic and political culture in Kenya, and the  Gender and Governance Programme, to engender the political process through support to key civil society organisations. The programme is currently managed by UNIFEM Kenya and funded by many development partners including DFID, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden.

Other initiatives that the Royal Netherlands Embassy supports:

- Civil Society for Democratic Governance Facility (CSDG-F) - see for more info:  http://www.ke.undp.org/presscsdg18July.pdf 

- International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) - see for more info:  http://www.ictj.org

- Media Focus on Africa - see for more info:  http://www.mediafocusonafrica.org

- Transparancy International - Kenya chapter - see for more info:  http://www.tikenya.org 

(For more general information on the bilateral relation between Kenya and the Netherlands, please refer to the alive fiche on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at:  www.minbuza.nl).