Ministerie

Ministerie is a government organization responsible for a specific policy area and the delivery of related public services. In Dutch governance, a ministerie is typically headed by a minister who sits in the cabinet and is advised by civil servants and junior ministers. The term is cognate with the English "ministry" and reflects a government’s organized portfolio of policy and administration.

A ministry develops policy, drafts legislation and budgets, supervises public agencies, and administers programs within its remit. It coordinates with other ministries to address cross-cutting issues, and it implements parliamentary mandates. The internal structure usually includes policy directorates, legal and financial units, and service delivery divisions. The minister is accountable to the parliament and, in many systems, to the prime minister or equivalent.

Terminology and organization vary by country. In some Dutch-speaking states the same term is used for the department, while in others the equivalent body may be called a department, ministry, or public service. Ministries are fundamental components of the executive branch, operating within the constraints of the constitution and budget laws, and subject to parliamentary oversight, audits, and public reporting.