More than 100 people work at the Institute with one shared goal: to protect human rights in the Caribbean and European Netherlands. They all have different tasks. We have Institute Members who assess discrimination complaints and determine whether discrimination has occurred under the law. We also have colleagues who conduct research, write advice, provide information, or communicate with the public. And there are people who ensure that the Institute continues to run smoothly, such as colleagues from ICT, finance, and building management.
What does the organizational structure look like?
The National Institute for Human Rights is basically an organization with three components: the Advisory Council, the Institute Members, and the Office.
Advisory Council
The Advisory Council assesses the Institute’s plans for protecting human rights. It also helps consider which individuals could be appointed as Institute Members. The members of the Advisory Council do not work for the Institute on a daily basis. The Council meets a few times a year to provide advice.
Institute Members
The Institute Members decide on discrimination complaints submitted to the Institute. They also determine the strategy and policy of the Institute. And they share their expertise on human rights publicly, for example through speeches or in the media.
The permanent Institute Members have extensive knowledge of various human rights topics and are appointed by the King. This group also includes the President (Rick Lawson) and the Vice-President (Pollyan Spoon).
In addition, there are Deputy Institute Members who support the permanent Institute Members in their work. By law, there is a maximum number of permanent Institute Members. Deputy Institute Members are therefore important, because they provide additional knowledge and expertise on various topics. Deputy Members can also issue decisions on whether discrimination has occurred.
In the Caribbean Netherlands, two Deputy Institute Members from the region are present. They handle the discrimination complaints from Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba: Solange Christiaan en Gerald Simmons-de Jong.
The Office
The Office carries out the daily work and is led by director Wilco de Jonge. Approximately 100 employees work on decisions, research, advice, communication, and internal organization.
What is the role of the Institute?
The Institute has existed in the Netherlands since 2012 and is, by law, independent in the tasks it performs. From 2026 onwards, the role of the Institute will also expand in the Caribbean Netherlands, as it will be able to issue decisions on discrimination complaints on the islands.
The Ministry of Justice & Security (J&V) provides the core funding for the Institute. For the Caribbean Netherlands, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) also contributes. And for specific projects, the ministries of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), Education, Culture and Science (OCW), and Foreign Affairs may also be involved.