The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Dutch: Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken; BZ) is the Netherlands' ministry responsible for foreign relations, foreign policy, international development, international trade, diaspora and matters dealing with the European Union, NATO and the Benelux Union. The ministry was created in 1798, as the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Batavian Republic. In 1876, it became the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Ministry was formed in 1798 as the Department of Foreign Affairs.[2] Since 1965 a special Minister for International Development has been appointed in each government with the exception of the First Balkenende cabinet and the First Rutte cabinet).
Responsibilities
The Ministry is responsible for the foreign relations of the Netherlands and its responsibilities are as follows:[3]
to maintain relations with other countries and international organisations.
to promote cooperation with other countries.
to help developing countries accelerate their social and economic development through international cooperation.
to promote the interests of Dutch nationals and the Netherlands abroad.
to collect information on other countries and international developments for the Government and other interested parties.
to provide information on Dutch policy and the Netherlands' position on international issues and developments.
to present the Netherlands to the world.
to deal with applications from and the problems of foreigners living in the Netherlands or seeking to enter or leave the country.
Organisation
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation provide political leadership to the Ministry. The ministry consists of four directorates-general, which deal with a particular policy area:[4]
The Directorate-General for Political Affairs is concerned with peace, security and human rights. This includes the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, the political role of NATO, the United Nations and the guidance for embassies and other diplomatic missions.
The Directorate-General for European Cooperation concerns itself with the European Union. It is responsible for Dutch relations with EU members and candidate countries. It also coordinates policy in other regional organisations like the Council of Europe, the OECD and the Benelux .
The Directorate-General for Foreign Economic Relations promotes the interests of Dutch businesses abroad and helps shape the Dutch contribution to the global economic order.
The International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) was a non-profitfoundation established by the Ministry in 1996. IICD's aim was to support sustainable development through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), notably computers and the Internet.
![Azure, billetty Or a lion with a coronet Or armed and langued Gules holding in his dexter paw a sword Argent hilted Or and in the sinister paw seven arrows Argent pointed and bound together Or. [The seven arrows stand for the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht.] The shield is crowned with the (Dutch) royal crown and supported by two lions Or armed and langued gules. They stand on a scroll Azure with the text (Or) "Je Maintiendrai" (French for "I will maintain".)](File:State_coat_of_arms_of_the_Netherlands.svg)
