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Evert-jan Quak

Evert-jan Quak

Evert-jan Quak is now Research Officer for the K4D Programme at the Institute of Development Studies. Evert-Jan was a freelance knowledge broker for The Broker on the themes ‘Inclusive Economy’ and ‘Food Security’. Over his career, he has specialized in international economics, corporate social responsibility and trade issues. Evert-Jan is the author of the book Het onzichtbare label (‘The invisible label’), in which he tackles the question of why current corporate social responsibility policies do not seem to work. Evert-Jan has a degree in international economics and economic geography from the University of Utrecht. He has a mixed professional background, both as a journalist and a policy advisor in international development.

Let investment work for employment – Report on the expert meeting with IFC

On 15 May, The Broker and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-organized an expert meeting with the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The 25 participants – a mix of researchers from knowledge institutes, civil servants and representatives of the private sector and civil society – discussed how the investments of the IFC can generate more and better jobs in developing countries. They concluded that the focus should be on making small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) more productive to create more employment opportunities. However, there are many challenges at the micro level, for example, in the areas of skills, finance and local governance, and even more at the macro level, in relation to the international trade regime and financial globalization.

From disposable labour to a different globalization

The central theme of The Broker Day 2014 on 14 April was employment and inequality, and the structural macroeconomic problems underlying them. The main speaker was Minister of Social Affairs and Employment and deputy prime minister Lodewijk Asscher, who made a comprehensive speech on full employment in the 21st century. Like the other speakers, Asscher concluded that a change in policy is required in the areas of taxation, financial regulation, trade and vocational training, to create more and better jobs.

Persbericht Brokerdag 14 april met vicepremier Asscher over volledige werkgelegenheid

Amsterdam, 14 april 2014 – Minister van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid en viceminister-president Lodewijk Asscher heeft vandaag op de jaarlijkse bijeenkomst van denktank The Broker gezegd dat de loonverdeling schever is geworden in Europa en in Nederland door financiele globalisering, automatisering, en offshoring. Het Nederlandse werkgelegenheidsbeleid moet volgens Asscher als antwoord op deze internationale trends volledige werkgelegenheid nastreven. ‘Volledige werkgelegenheid hoeft niet bereikt te worden door het afprijzen van de productiefactor arbeid. Wegwerparbeid kan niet onze toekomst zijn. Fatsoenlijk werk tegen fatsoenlijke betaling kan hand in hand gaan met het streven naar volledige werkgelegenheid,’ aldus de minister.

  • 15 April, 2014

  • label_outline News

Building political commitment for the social enterprise – Policy recommendations

Policies to promote social entrepreneurship cannot cover up cuts in public expenditure. It should promote equality, greater civic participation in the economy, and the small and medium sized productive sectors. This means an incentive package including not only public procurement, taxation and legal forms, but also regulation of the financial sector and changes in corporate laws to decrease the emphasis on maximizing short-term profit.

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