Cross-border policy coherence for sustainable development in theory and practice: Lessons from the case of the Netherlands

In 2015, the United Nations agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals to guide the global development agenda until 2030. A key principle underpinning this agenda is policy coherence for sustainable development, defined in target 17.14 as coherence between policies that cover the dimensions (environmental, economic, social) of sustainable development. Although policy coherence has received growing attention in academic literature, most studies have focused on coherence in domestic policies at different governance levels, and through an a-political technocratic lens. We argue that policy coherence for sustainable development also requires cross-border-policy coherence, where (trade and development) policies from developed towards developing countries should promote synergies and accountability, rather than introduce new complex trade-offs between goals and targets and reproduce North-South hierarchies. We combine policy and institutional analysis with 20 key informant interviews to investigate how the Netherlands, earlier noted as a frontrunner on policy coherence, aims to ensure cross-border policy coherence, investigating cases in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Bangladesh. Our findings help to further conceptualize cross-border policy coherence, and result in recommendations that can help realize cross-border policy coherence for sustainable development.