Dutch human rights protection lagging behind

In april 2008 the UN Human Rights Council will discuss the human rights situation in the Netherlands. For this occasion, 13 Dutch civil society organisations, including Aim for human rights, the Dutch section of the International Commission of Jurists, and the Dutch Network CEDAW have written a ‘shadow report’.

The undersigning NGOs are increasingly concerned that continued allusions to the role, one may even say ‘leading role’, of the Netherlands in human rights protection worldwide are not put in practice at the national level anymore. Instead of progress the organisations see standstill, and in some cases a serious decline, of the human rights protection in Dutch policy and legislation. The organisations are among others disappointed that the Dutch government has not taken visible steps to ensure speedy signature of human rights treaties such as the new UN Convention against Disappearances.
 

Download the shadow report (pdf, 0.9 MB)