“Minister for Development Cooperation Ben Knapen visits VNG International” - 02-02-12

“Good governance sounds abstract, but becomes concrete when you get involved.” This was said by the Minister for Development Cooperation Ben Knapen on the occasion of the New Year’s reception of VNG International on January 27, 2012.  “At our Ministry we may talk in an abstract way about good governance, but of course we know nothing about these things.” The Minister called upon the municipalities which are going to participate in the Local Governance Capacity Programme make show-cases of the “jewels” of municipal development cooperation which he found. Knapen:  “Two weeks ago I was in Benin (to visit a.o. a project managed by VNG International and SNV). I saw how a little assistance with cadastre registration can make a big difference. It means being able to start agriculture in an economic way.  Because if you don’t know who owns what or how you can bequeath it to your family, you can’t invest in the piece of land. (…) Only then is a farmer able to produce more than he needs. This can make the difference between a farmer who is able to produce more than he needs and who can bring this to market and thus create economic growth.
Full speech (in Dutch)