The strength of lobbying and advocacy Ten recommendations from the field

In her 9 October 2013 letter Cooperation with civil society in a new context, Lilianne Ploumen, Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, clearly expresses her idea of the role civil society should play. Indeed, she aims to strengthen its lobbying and advocacy capacity: ‘Relatively speaking, the role of lobbying and advocacy receives less support internationally, and yet international support is crucial for inclusive and sustainable growth.’ Human rights, trade, poverty, climate change, security, food prices, land grabbing, environmental pollution, mining, biofuels, water, production chains – these are all issues that knowledgeable civil society organisations are working on in alliances with southern partners.

Lobbying and advocacy, or policy influencing, is a powerful tool – civil society organisations would agree with this statement. Because this tool is used to address systems, rather than symptoms. Advocating for better policies generates positive change for disadvantaged people, groups and countries. Its reach is vast, and its approach tackles the systematic causes of problems, thus empowering local voices and promoting the sustainable development of southern countries. Policy influencing means working with southern partners to influence Dutch, European, international and local policy in government agencies, other NGOs and in the business sector.

Lobbying and advocacy means acting as a watchdog, and much more than that. It concerns cooperating, establishing networks and partnerships, complementing each other’s work, conducting in-depth, long-term research, responding flexibly to new knowledge and opinions, developing alternatives and persistently pursuing policy reform.

The Fair, Green & Global alliance presents clear insights into the many shapes and forms of policy influencing according to ten factors that lead to success, including recommendations for policy support measures.

The Fair, Green & Global alliance consists of Both ENDS, ActionAid, the Clean Clothes Campaign, Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands), SOMO and the Transnational Institute.