Aid and trade reinforcing each other
That is why we have organised pitches from different angles, to show where opportunities are and what it takes to take advantage of them. I thought we had a very nice combination of pitches. First of all, of course, Sigrid Kaag, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. The 'Leaving no one behind' theme is close to her heart and she focused on how aid can lead to trade and how the two can reinforce each other. Danielle Hirsch, Director of Both Ends and Chair of the NWP NGO Water Platform, focused on ‘political inclusion’. Because it is not only about access to water, but also about influence and control. For that you have to break through existing power patterns. Peter van Mierlo, CEO of FMO, said that water should be a key priority in the boardroom of every bank and company in the world, because it's an opportunity for businesses to create competitive advantages, while securing their license to operate and ensuring sustainable development. Anika Altaf (University of Amsterdam/ASC Leiden) stressed in her pitch – and much more deeply in her recent dissertation – that even NGOs have difficulty reaching the poorest of the poor. She showed that projects are more successful if more attention is paid to the human face behind policies and projects. Lida Schelwald, of the Zuiderzeeland water authority, took the standpoint of the Blue Deal. This is a purely government-to-government initiative and the question is: how do you get beyond that other government to make sure that you reach the poorest of the poor?