Soon the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs will present its “Feminist Foreign Policy”. Following in the footsteps of countries such as Spain, Sweden and Canada, the Netherlands will commit itself to fostering global equality. This will be done through the adoption and implementation of a feminist foreign policy. What this policy will entail in concrete terms is not yet known, but it seems that two target groups in particular will receive extra attention in Dutch foreign policy: (young) women and LGBTIQ+ people. The feminist foreign policy aims to serve the goal that “If more people get equal opportunities, that contributes to a safe, stable and prosperous world” (quote from the website of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

At Dorcas, we think it is a good development that the Netherlands is willing to target people that need extra support. For example, we know that women can be more vulnerable to poverty and exclusion for various reasons. It is important to take this into account in Dutch foreign policies, so that women worldwide receive the support they need. This also applies to LGBTIQ+ people. We therefore understand the desire to focus on equal rights for women and LGBTIQ+ people. However, Dorcas and 25 humanitarian assistance and development organisations fear that other groups of people, such as older persons, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities will automatically receive less attention. Dorcas cannot agree to favouring one person over another. This would undermine the goal of a “safe, stable and prosperous world”.  

Dorcas stands for inclusive policies and practices in which everyone can participate regardless of ethnicity, gender, religious background and other personal characteristics. That is why Dorcas in collaboration with 25 organisations has written a letter to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this letter we jointly request attention for an inclusive foreign policy that takes into account all personal characteristics that could lead to exclusion. As far as Dorcas is concerned, this goes beyond gender and sexual preference alone.

The letter includes suggestions on how the Dutch feminist foreign policy can broaden its scope beyond gender and sexual orientation. Often the overlap between different personality traits creates extra vulnerability. For example, women with a disability are more vulnerable than men with a disability. By recognising this overlap and looking beyond gender and sexual orientation alone, the 26 organisations hope that the Netherlands can make a difference worldwide for everyone in need!

What is a Feminist Foreign Policy?

The Netherlands wants to reduce inequality and strives for equality between men and women and LGBTIQ+ people all over the world. That is why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working on feminist foreign policy.

With the choice for a feminist foreign policy, equal rights and equality for women and LGBTIQ+ people will be central to all aspects of Dutch foreign policy. With this, the Netherlands joins a group of frontrunners from countries that are committed to gender equality internationally, such as Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Canada, Mexico and Chile.

Dorcas distributes food, provides health support in a mobile clinic and offers psychosocial support to those affected by the earthquake. Dorcas’ humanitarian assistance coordinator Mirian Wester explains this protection approach that psychosocial support is part of.

‘Surviving an earthquake is incredibly intense’, explains Mirian. ‘It can cause a lot of stress and feelings of insecurity, which can ultimately cause a range of other complaints. Many people have been pulled out from under the rubble, and everyone has lost family and/or friends. On top of that, many people lost their homes, possessions and income in one fell swoop. That obviously has a huge impact on their lives.’

Food and water are basic needs, but so is good psychological help. Difficult experiences need to be processed as soon as possible. Many people are resilient and can talk to friends or family about their feelings and fears. Others need professional support and Dorcas provides that.

The Dorcas mental health and psychosocial support team in Syria consists mainly of social workers and psychologists, each with their own expertise. For example, some employees are specialised in giving psychosocial support to children. Providing timely help to children is extremely important. If an intense experience is not processed properly, they can carry it with them for the rest of their lives’, says Mirian. Dorcas therefore focuses on psychosocial support for children. The Dorcas Community Centres offer recreational activities to help children feel safe and relaxed and regain their self-confidence. For example, children can colour in pictures or play football with each other. Individual psychosocial sessions are possible, if a child requires specific attention.

Dorcas also organises psychosocial support for adults. This support helps them to cope with the impact of the earthquake, increase their resilience and deal with their experiences in a positive way.

Dorcas also organises awareness sessions about what people can do during and after earthquakes and about the different emotional reactions such a situation can evoke. They then learn how to deal with their reactions, for example, through breathing exercises. Individual psychological sessions are also available for adults.

Currently Dorcas provides support in 13 community centres and temporary shelters. Psychosocial activities take place In the community centres and in the temporary shelters Dorcas distributes food together with local partner organisations. Dorcas social workers visit reception locations and can refer people to the specialised psychosocial support in the centres.

Before these activities started, Dorcas first of all ensured that its staff received psychosocial support to cope with their own experiences. ‘EMDR group sessions and individual sessions were offered by our psychologist from Lebanon, who was on site immediately after the earthquake.’ Many members of staff took advantage of these sessions. Furthermore, the psychologist also gave staff a refresher course on how to give psychological first aid: calming and supporting people by showing empathy, listening and offering practical help, such as access to food. All staff distributing food or collecting data can give this first aid.

A coordinator specialised in psychosocial health is available to all staff to check on everyone’s progress. Mirian: ‘We are very aware that our colleagues were also affected by the earthquake and so we make sure that they get the help they need.’

In Syria, the earthquake caused widespread destruction in infrastructure and civilian buildings in Aleppo, Hama, Idleb, and Lattakia governorates. The impact of this earthquake is enormous. Many buildings in the region who have already suffered damage from the ongoing civil war are now destroyed.

When time passes by, we get more insight on the impact and fear that the biggest disaster is yet to come. After assessments we see:

• Many buildings have collapsed and people are still expected to be under the rubble. Many buildings are unsafe and the risk of collapse is high. In Aleppo, areas are closed due to safety reasons and providing humanitarian assistance is challenging.
• People stay on the streets, in cars, shelters, sports stadiums, mosques and churches. But there are also people who, despite the unsafe state of their homes, do not dare to leave.
• Another disaster is unfolding whilst people have lost everything and many of them do not have the means to provide in basic needs.
• The availability of essential products is limited. Shelters cannot always offer warm clothes, food and water. Given the temperatures, especially at night, it is urgent that people have access to a safe and warm place to stay.
• Syria is in a fuel-crisis and fuel is not always available or affordable. An immediate emergency demand for petrol is requested to support rescue workers and humanitarian organisations.
• Mental health and psychosocial support is essential when dealing with crisis. The continuous aftershocks are causing widespread fear and anxiety among children, older people, women and young people.

Dorcas has been active in Syria for many years. This allowed our staff on the ground to take immediate action. Dorcas is providing support on FSL, non-food items and protection via:

• Delivering food parcels and ready-to-eat meals.
• Supplying blankets and warm clothing.
• Providing health and mental health services and medicine through a mobile unit in Hama and Idleb. Its servicing in hard-to-reach areas.
• Offering mental health and psychosicial support. Our Psychological First Aid programme is designed to provide emotional support and support individuals cope with their negative experience.

Earthquakes and severe aftershocks are causing great devastation in Syria and Turkey. Dorcas has been active in Syria for many years and is directly experiencing the consequences of this disaster itself. The office in Aleppo was heavily damaged. But country office staff took immediate action, offering support to victims based on what is needed. Blankets, warm clothes and food are currently being distributed.

Najla Chahda (Dorcas’ Country Director in Syria): ‘Our office in Aleppo is damaged and we cannot work there at the moment. It is unsafe. Luckily, we can operate from one of our partners office and continue to provide support to those in need. Our community centre, where many of our programmes are given, is unharmed. For us, it is not a question of taking action. It is in our hearts to support people and that is what we are doing now. We have to do this.’

Due to the Beirut blast, Dorcas has experience in quickly responding to a disaster of this magnitude. The situation and needs of the people who have been affected are continuously assessed. Slowly the situation is becoming clearer, but it remains to be seen whether there will be new earthquakes and how severe they will be. We see older people are unable to leave their homes and when they do, they have nowhere to go. People are afraid to stay indoors, but the current weather conditions make this challenging. Besides distributing clothes, blankets and food, Dorcas also provides first aid to the victims through a mobile clinic. Furthermore, Dorcas is looking into providing cash-money assistance and psychosocial care.

Dorcas is proud to announce that we have undergone verification against the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) by the independent auditing body HQAI. The process gives confidence to affected populations, donors, the public and other stakeholders that we are continuously improving the quality and accountability of our services. Quality and accountability are at the heart of our activities and this three-year process will help us assess and ensure the quality of our work, reduce the risk of mistakes and continuously improve our services – for the benefit of our organisation and, not least, the people we work for.

HQAI auditors measured whether Dorcas makes continuous progress in applying our CHS Commitments. The audit included a thorough process of document checks, reviews of practices as well as interviews with staff, affected communities and other local stakeholders.

The audit was an excellent opportunity for us to get insight in our strengths and weaknesses regarding CHS, and how we can further improve. The independent verification gives assurance that Dorcas is continuously improving its programming and operations. Based on the audit, Dorcas is able to further improve its commitment to quality and accountability for the benefit of those in need.

About Core Humanitarian Standard:
The Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS) is a globally recognised voluntary standard that sets out Nine Commitments that organisations and individuals involved in humanitarian response can use to improve the quality and effectiveness of the assistance they provide.

The CHS places communities and people affected by crisis at the centre of humanitarian action. As a core standard, the CHS describes the essential elements of principled, accountable and high-quality humanitarian aid. It is a voluntary and measurable standard. The CHS is the result of a global consultation process. It draws together key elements of existing humanitarian standards and commitments.

#Dignity – Dorcas believes in the value and God-given potential of every single person. Every single person. No one excluded. We see those in need and stand next to them.  

#Freedom – Dorcas fights poverty, exclusion and crisis. Why? Every single person deserves to live in freedom. Freedom from poverty, exclusion and crisis. Free to be part of resilient and flourishing communities. Free to make one’s unique contribution to a fair and just world. 

#Justice – Dorcas sees a world where poverty, exclusion and crisis marginalise people. We also see the potential of these people and their communities to flourish despite their difficult circumstances. We invest in communities in which everyone can participate and make their contribution. 

#All – Dorcas is committed to the overarching principle of the Sustainable Development Goals: leave no one behind. We are part of a global movement of individuals and organisations working for a just and fair world. Together we speak out against injustice and together we act for a world with dignity, freedom and justice for all. 

Go to:

• Webpage: Protecting the rights of older people
• Dorcas’ key recommendations
• Report: COVID-19 and the Rights of Older People
• Factsheet: Update on the situation of older persons in Eastern Ukraine (download)
• Gender-based violence (Instagram Tabitha Lebanon)
• Portraits of Power
• Report: Older people particularly vulnerable in conflict situations
• Opinion article: Why ageing of the African continent should be included in the Dutch Africa Strategy
• UN Convention for the Rights of Older People

If you look at the figures, there is only one conclusion: Africa is ageing rapidly and will be doing so till at least 2050. It is obvious that this will have consequences for the way in which sustainable economic development and poverty reduction can be achieved on the African continent. In 2009, the Dutch Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV) concluded that anticipating the ageing population in low-income countries should be an integral part of Dutch development policy. In the same study, the AIV concluded that the mainstreaming of ageing in development policy is “not progressing well”. The AIV formulates this as follows:

“The lack of prospects of retirement provision for the majority of people living in developing countries means minimal income security for old age.”

Despite the fact that this problem has been known for quite some time, global ageing and its consequences for international cooperation are not an integral part of Dutch development cooperation yet. In fact, Dutch development cooperation policies do not mention global ageing and the rising social protection burden for low-income countries once. However, the Dutch Africa Strategy offers a second chance. In this article, I explain why mitigating the consequences of an ageing continent deserves a place in the Dutch Africa Strategy, and where the first starting points for concrete measures for social protection can be found. Social protection is defined here as policies and programs developed to mitigate the direct consequences of poverty, for example through cash transfers or viable pensions.

Ageing increases the need for social protection

The AIV is not alone in its conclusion that the ageing population should be an integral part of international development agendas: the UN also concluded this and other more recent studies show that, towards 2050, it will be a great challenge to prevent African adults from falling into poverty after their working life. On the African continent challenges regarding ageing are as great as in the rest of the world. Research shows that in all African countries the number of people over the age of 60 will (almost) double towards 2050. Many of these older persons traditionally depend on their social environment, such as neighbours, acquaintances and their children. However, this social environment has been subjected to change: urbanisation (the migration of young people to the city) and the breakdown of traditional extended families (families in which 3 generations live together) mean that African older persons are increasingly dependent on themselves.

In addition, according to research, the percentage of older people receiving a pension is below 10 percent in almost every African society. The lack of viable pensions on this continent often leads people aged 60 and over to depend on their social environment after their working life. This dependency makes older persons potentially vulnerable when the social environment faces adversity such as loss of income, or when the social safety net is not there in the first place. There is therefore an urgent need for social protection for older persons, for example in the form of living pensions, to prevent older persons from falling into (extreme) poverty.

Why simply working more and longer is not the solution

All this means that, without effective policy interventions, more and more older people will have to continue working to individually generate a living income. This is not always possible for every older person due to physical constraints or a lack of skills. An additional problem is that the percentage of older people participating in work worldwide fell between 1960 and 2010. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the labour participation of people over the age of 65 fell from 57 to 48 percent. In the Middle East and North Africa combined the decline is even stronger: from 29 percent in 1960 to 18 percent in 2010. The conclusion is therefore that, instead of working more to meet their increasing needs, older persons have participated less in labour over the last 50 to 60 years.

This confluence of circumstances in which an increase in the number of older people, a lack of social protection and a decreasing labour participation of older people come together, is an obstacle for achieving the SDGs. SDG1 (no poverty) and SDG2 (zero hunger) are directly at risk if mitigating the effects of ageing of the African continent is not integrated into future development strategies.

Starting points for the Africa Strategy

Fortunately, there are always glimmers of hope. An example: the ever-increasing penetration of the mobile phone on the African continent, also among older persons, in combination with the mobile payment technology popular in (Eastern) Africa, makes it relatively easy to reach older persons in remote and rural areas. This is important, because (extreme) poverty is often more concentrated around rural areas. This mobile payment technology does not require any personal data, bank accounts or proof of identity: the telephone number is sufficient to receive and send payments. This enables governments and NGOs to reach individuals in vulnerable situations and to offer social protection in the form of cash transfers, also in remote and rural areas. Small-scale experiments are already underway in countries such as Kenya, Lesotho and Rwanda, with promising results at first glance. With technological heavyweights such as Adyen and Capgemini Nederland, the Netherlands have the knowledge to further develop this infrastructure. This could be the prime example of a successful aid and trade combination: strengthening African public services for marginalised people with the help of Dutch knowledge and skills.

Strengthening social cohesion between young and old, and preventing young people from moving to the cities is more complex. This requires a socio-cultural dialogue that cannot be imposed from European countries. However, local and international NGOs can stimulate the debate in collaboration with diplomatic offices. Also, the Dutch ministry can provide the financial means for lobby & advocacy on the benefits of social protection for potentially vulnerable people such as older persons, people with a disability or women.

Let’s go!

The Africa Strategy specifies how the Netherlands intend to relate to the African continent, both in the European context and bilaterally. A hefty task, especially since the strategy aims to be relevant for the next 10 to 15 years. A wide range of themes such as trade, equal partnerships, climate change, security and migration are therefore incorporated in the strategy. Given the facts presented above, ageing deserves an integral place in this strategy. Let the Africa Strategy therefore be a first step towards finally working on restoring social protection for older persons, making use of Dutch knowledge and expertise where relevant. Only by doing this, we can keep track of achieving the SDGs.

Why Dorcas considers mental well-being to be a priority

Poverty, disaster and violence impact communities and countries worldwide and have a devastating impact on millions of people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being. Yet humanitarian assistance often just focuses on providing tangible health services, food and shelter. In this article, Dorcas argues why mental health and psychological support (MHPSS) should also be an integral component of both short- and long-term humanitarian assistance.

The importance of mental well-being

Evidence has consistently shown that people with mental illness have greater physical health morbidity and mortality compared to the general population. Heleen Berends, Humanitarian Assistance Expert at Dorcas Ukraine, explains how mental health issues in a conflict situation affect people’s resilience and ability to cope. ‘For example, a few months after the war in Ukraine started, we noticed that teenagers and young adults were having such a hard time. Especially those who had fled from the contact lines. Suddenly they were without school or work, experienced uncertainty about their future and lacked a purpose in their lives. On top of that, they had experienced traumatic events, such as life-threatening bombing, having to leave home and losing loved ones. One of the awful consequences of losing hope like this is an increase in the suicide rate.’

Likewise, millions of other people around the world are confronted with a whole range of mental health issues. Without sufficient support, people can experience long-term or recurring setbacks. This can lead to more serious mental health complaints such as anxiety, depression and (post) traumatic stress that can have a negative impact on a person’s ability to work, earn an income or care for their children, for example. Therefore prevention and early treatment are much better than cure when it comes to mental health.

Dorcas’ approach

Dorcas has a long track record with MHPSS in humanitarian assistance, especially in Lebanon and Syria. Our MHPSS programmes aim to protect or promote psychosocial well-being and prevent or treat mental health complaints. We offer individual therapy, group sessions and creative approaches. Our focus is primarily on people with specific needs, such as older people, children, minority groups and people with disabilities.

MHPSS is integrated into all existing programmes of Dorcas. For example:

• On an individual level, Dorcas provides food security, shelter, clean water, medication (for mental health treatments) and cash programmes. We also support people with referrals to specialised support services.
• On a community level, Dorcas is active in awareness raising, supportive parenting programmes, group sessions, educational activities, livelihood activities, community safety nets for older people, self-help groups for women, youth clubs, life skills activities and supporting (self-) employment opportunities. We also have mobile teams (therapists) that reach out to the community.
• On a society level, Dorcas advocates for the rights of marginalised groups and access to (mental) health care and social services.

Removing the stigmas associated with mental health issues

An important part of our approach is removing the stigmas associated with mental health issues. We see how many individuals are hesitant to seek help as they might face stigma. This applies to both very severe traumas (for example, due to sexual violence) and minor traumas (for example, when a child has seen its parents in a panic). Social and cultural beliefs regarding mental health cause a lot of preconceptions. The long-used community-based approach of Dorcas provides a solution to this challenge. Heleen: ‘In our group sessions, the participants share experiences, connect with each other, recognise similar mental health issues, and learn that these are a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. This is how the social cohesion – including mutual trust – that has often been damaged is restored again.’

Example from Yemen

Yemen is facing the largest humanitarian crisis worldwide with ongoing armed conflict, displacement, depleted health delivery systems, a fuel and economic crisis, and a shortage of humanitarian funding. In Yemen, mental health and psychosocial support is underfunded and lacks prioritisation. The population of Yemen lives in extreme poverty and with high fragility. These years of conflict, displacement and emotional distress after traumatic experiences cause a wide range of mental health issues and chronic stress for both adults and children.

Adriaan Jagersma, interim Country Director in Yemen, explains: ‘War brings all kinds of trauma, especially in Yemen where thousands of children have starved to death and many people live in refugee camps and have experienced rocket attacks. All these things take their mental toll. At the same time, we also see a lot of resilience and a great desire to look beyond this crisis. So when we are looking for ways to support people in rebuilding their lives, one of the most important questions to ask is simply: how do you feel? How can we support you in finding hope, confidence and motivation again?’

Staff care

Humanitarian staff may experience direct or indirect exposure to trauma and therefore many stressors in their work. An increased risk for burnout and depression is seen among local and international humanitarian workers. As an employer, Dorcas ensures that all staff have access to supportive tools so that they are self-aware, find a healthy work-life balance and can process intense emotional experiences. This also applies to staff working in situations of extreme and chronic poverty.

In conclusion, mental health is a critical emergency health tool and protection intervention for everyone involved in humanitarian work and development. It is crucial to the overall well-being, functioning and resilience of individual project participants and staff, as well as communities and societies recovering from emergencies and poverty. Dorcas invests in professionals with sufficient psychological knowledge and experience. We believe this is an essential part of structural recovery after poverty, disaster and violence.

The Resilience and Contributions of Older Women

A Dorcas inquiry on the situation of older persons in Eastern Ukraine shows that a relatively large number of older people stay at home even when they live close to an area with active fighting. Sometimes this is out of choice, often it is out of necessity, being unable to flee or start a new life elsewhere.

Older people are resilient and resourceful albeit often not by their own choice. It is a sometimes brutal necessity to just survive. The recent Dorcas report on older people and conflicts and the earlier Dorcas report on COVID-19 and the rights of older people address two global challenges – conflict and COVID-19 – that force older people to be resilient. Resilient whether they like it or not.

A key call to action in both reports is to: ”Listen to the voices of all older people and acknowledge their wisdom, knowledge and experience.” Older people have the right to be seen and listened to. They have the right to participate in priority setting and decision making about topics that matter to them, including humanitarian and other assistance.

1 October is the International Day of Older Persons. The 2022 edition celebrates the resilience of older people and gives special attention to the resilience and contributions of older women who constitute the majority of older people worldwide.

Older people manage to successfully navigate today’s myriad of global challenges. These global challenges are manifest: the COVID-19 pandemic, the increasing number of conflicts, climate change and major socioeconomic challenges including the current exorbitantly high fuel and energy prices.

The effects of these challenges are felt globally and continue to be significant, particularly for many older women in low-and middle-income countries, who bear the burden of cumulative disadvantage. Recognition of the vital contributions of older women and inclusion of their perspectives and needs is critical to creating policies responsive to local, national and global challenges.

Older women, in particular are the unsung heroes embodying often unseen resilience in living through and responding to climate disaster, pandemic and conflict. They do so as they experience and manage the physical and emotional disruption due to losses of family, income, and social connectedness.

The meaningful contributions and experiences of older women remain largely invisible and disregarded due to gendered disadvantages accumulated throughout the life course. The intersection between discrimination based on age and gender compounds new and existing inequalities, including negative stereotypes that combine ageism and sexism.

Dorcas calls on all governments – in particular the Dutch government – and all private sector and civil society actors, to include older women and other people who are marginalised in all policies.

In 2021, Dorcas portraits older women using their powerful personalities to advocate for change in their communities: at economic, social and political levels. These normal yet extraordinary women are portraited in word and images in Dorcas’ Portraits of Power. Be inspired by their resourcefulness, their hope and their resilience.

Older people are left behind in Dutch foreign policy. They are not mentioned once in the policy note ‘Doen waar Nederland goed in is’ (Doing what the Netherlands does best), which the government shared with Dutch parliament last June. This is remarkable, as women are cited 36 times in the same note as a group that needs specific attention, and children six times. In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs lacks a strategy to engage and protect older people worldwide through Dutch engagement. The ministry does have such a strategy for young people, called ‘Youth at heart’. Finally, the Netherlands does not participate in the United Nations working group that is drafting a convention on the rights of older persons. While countries such as Germany, Italy, Austria and Great Britain are represented in this group.

It is unfair, however, to solely point to the Dutch government: there are very few Dutch humanitarian aid and international cooperation organisations that specifically target older people. In short, the Dutch lack of attention to older people worldwide is present in both government policies and practices from Dutch international organisations.

Left to their own devices

Given global ageing, the trend that is likely to push the proportion of older people worldwide to more than one in five by 2050, the lack of attention for older persons is a problem. Indeed, it is expected that eighty percent of older persons will live in low- and middle-income countries by 2050. That is precisely where older people are potentially vulnerable. For instance, research shows that in less prosperous countries, more and more (young) residents are moving to the cities. As a result, older people in rural areas are becoming increasingly isolated and dependent upon themselves.

Whereas, for example, the Dutch government supports older persons when the social safety net fails, this is not the case in many other countries. The fact that only 20 percent of older people in low-income countries receive a pension exemplifies this.

It is also known that in conflict situations older people more often stay behind in their endangered place of residence, because they cannot or do not want to flee. We see this in Ukraine, among others, where relatively many older people do not leave their homes. Newspaper Trouw has already written about Anatoli and Irina, two Ukrainian older persons who became trapped in Russian artillery fire. Anatoli suffers from Parkinson’s and cannot flee his home. The two just managed to survive the shelling early May, as proven by the damage to their flat. Like Anatoli and Irina, there are unfortunately many older people who are left behind during conflicts, with potentially dire consequences.

Specific needs

Finally, we know that older people are protected on paper through international law, but little attention is paid to their specific needs and requirements. Case in point, only one of the nine human rights treaties pays specific attention to older people and their rights. As mentioned, a blueprint for a treaty on the rights of older people is being worked on at UN level, unfortunately without the active participation of Dutch representation. The signal that emanates from this is that older people are not a priority in Dutch foreign policy.

It is therefore time for Dutch foreign policy to pay more attention to the sometimes vulnerable position of older people worldwide. A good start would be to concretely safeguard the rights of the older people in Dutch foreign policy, such as in the aforementioned policy paper ‘Doen waar Nederland goed in is’ (Doing what the Netherlands does best).  

In addition, the Netherlands could become part of the UN group of countries writing the blueprint for an international treaty on the rights of older people. Finally, it is up to the Dutch humanitarian aid and development cooperation sector to give protection of the rights of older people a higher priority. After all, those who want to work inclusively should not leave older people behind!