In 2012 Lilianne Ploumen (PvdA, Labour Party) was appointed as the first Dutch minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. This combination of functions meant that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that is responsible for development cooperation, had to play a bigger role to promote and support Dutch export, not only organising trade missions but also using part of the development cooperation funding.
Rana Plaza
When Rana Plaza, a textile factories complex in Dhaka Bangladesh, collapsed in 2013 1134 people died. In these factories, clothing was produced for brands such as Primark and Mango. After this tragic event, Lilianne Ploumen called out clothing companies to take their responsibility and signed a covenant with all Dutch companies involved in clothing. Two years after the incident, Ploumen visited Bangladesh. Before her visit, she spoke critically about the Government of Bangladesh' lack of improvements in the textile sector as the new labour law was not fully implemented and unions faced difficulties operating.
While Ploumen's actions can be seen as first steps, the Schone Kleren Campagne (SKC), an umbrella organisation that strives for improving the labour conditions in the textile industry, criticised the covenant for not having enough concrete goals.
Sources
https://www.parool.nl/nieuws/kabinet-komt-met-lijst-eerlijke-kledingmerken~b89c487b/
https://www.canonvannederland.nl/nl/page/129620/elisabeth-maria-josepha-lilianne-ploumen
