At the end of 2024, the National Institute for Human Rights presented its 2025 annual plan for the Caribbean Netherlands. The main points of this plan are:
1. Thorough preparation for the implementation of decisions
On January 1, 2026, the Equal Treatment Legislation will take effect in the Caribbean Netherlands. This means that from that date, residents on the islands can turn to the Institute with a discrimination complaint. They can request a decision on whether discrimination has occurred. This decision-making task must be well prepared to ensure it fits the culture and context of the islands. Because the islands are small and close-knit communities, people often know each other personally. For this reason, the Institute expects that in some cases, a mediator will be used instead of immediately issuing a decision.
2. Further development of advice & encouragement
The Institute will maintain its focus on combating poverty and discrimination in the Caribbean Netherlands. Equal rights for people with disabilities and combating violence against women and girls also remain important issues. Two topics the Institute wants to investigate further are:
Climate change and environmental pollution have direct consequences for human rights, such as the right to health, clean water, food security, and a safe living environment. The Institute monitors whether these rights are sufficiently protected, for example in laws and regulations concerning climate. In the Caribbean Netherlands, the risks of climate change are especially serious: sea levels are rising, periods of drought are becoming longer, and coral reefs are dying. The Institute therefore believes that climate change must be a permanent part of policy for the islands. The Institute is further examining how it can play a role in this area.
This concerns, for example, people in a prison or a closed care institution. For human rights, it is important to prevent inhumane treatment in these situations. There is an international treaty for this called OPCAT (Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture). The Institute is examining whether this can also apply to the Caribbean Netherlands.
3. Further expanding education, networks and communication
To carry out good work in the Caribbean Netherlands, it is important to have as many strong contacts on the islands as possible and to provide information. The Institute aims to expand this further by organizing so-called “town hall meetings” and information evenings about the Equal Treatment Legislation and human rights in general. The Institute is also working on communication about human rights and what the Institute can mean for residents of the islands, through this website and through Facebook, where we will use short explanatory videos.