Deputy Mayor Frits Huffnagel (International Affairs) on 27 May, his last day in office, officially opened the second NGO (non-governmental organisation) office building at Zeestraat 100 in The Hague.
The idea to create a shared office building in order to cluster international NGOs in The Hague has proven to be a success and has contributed to The Hague’s image as International City of Peace and Justice.
The first NGO office building at Laan van Meerdervoort 70 quickly became home to 20 organisations in no time. They share a meeting space, ICT and logistical support services and assist one another. Because three floors of the building are already full, the Municipality of The Hague recently made € 225,000 available to renovate an extra floor in the building.
The second NGO building on the Zeestraat already has ten organisations as new occupants.
There are nearly 100 NGOs which make their home in The Hague. The number of people employed by the NGOs in The Hague has more than doubled since 2004 to more than 400 people.
ACCESS new occupant
The move of ACCESS’s back office this month to the new building provided a reason for celebration. The front office will remain at the Xpat Desk in The Hague City Hall. ACCESS was recently named Expat Service Provider of the Year.
Huffnagel prasied ACCESS for making an important contribution towards The Hague’s international character. The volunteer organisation is a not-for-profit organisation committed to supporting the international expatriate community in the Netherlands, making The Hague an attractive location for international organisations.