Human Rights Situation in the Netherlands

A government plays an integral role in championing a human rights culture. To do so successfully, a close and constructive dialogue with civil society groups needs to be nurtured and maintained. In the light of this, the report Bringing Human Rights Home: Contribution to the third Universal Periodic Review of the Netherlands has provided a perfect opportunity for Dutch NGOs to cast light on the human rights situation from a Dutch perspective. The report has been co-signed by NHC.

The concise report stresses the polarization of approaches to human rights in foreign policy and on the domestic level. While the Dutch foreign policy premises on the protection of inalienable rights and freedoms, some groups within the Netherlands remain to be mistreated by the system. The report stresses the need for an integral human rights approach that can foster reconciliation by bridging the divides in society. It highlights a number of issues, such as ethnic profiling, unfavorable treatment of refugees and undocumented migrants, overbearing privacy laws and the need for a more robust protection of social and labor rights. Moreover, the publication reminds the government of the paramount importance of teaching human rights and citizenship in schools.

You can read the report here.