The Netherlands tabled ‘voluntary pledges and commitments’ in support for its candidacy for membership for the period 2015-2017 on 25 March 2014. The document presents the Netherland’s international level and national level commitments and pledges for its membership term.
At the international level, the Netherlands pledged to: use its membership to respond effectively and rapidly to urgent human rights situations; initiate discussions in the Council on pressing country situations; continue to support the Council’s Trust Fund on the participation of LDC and SIDS; maintain its standing invitation to Special Procedures; cooperate fully with Treaty Bodies and submit reports on time; ratify the CRPD no later than 2015; engage with the UPR; introduce and support Council initiatives on gender-based violence; support and cooperate with OHCHR; continue to work on initiatives to eliminate child labour; use its network of embassies to promote the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights; use development assistance to promote the right to water and sanitation; provide capacity-building support to eliminate discrimination; take further steps to promote women’s rights worldwide, including by organising international conferences; promote freedom of religion and freedom of expression (online and offline); and support the work of human rights defenders.
At national level, the Netherlands made a commitment to implement its recently-adopted national action plan on human rights, which covers inter alia: strengthening the national human rights infrastructure; tackling discrimination; protecting privacy and personal data; protecting the rights of persons in detention; and combatting domestic violence, child abuse and trafficking.
An analysis of steps taken by the Netherlands in fulfilment of its international pledges shows that it has continued to lead on Council initiatives on early and forced marriage, on the participation of LDCs and SIDS in the Council’s work, and on human rights in Yemen. As pledged, the Netherlands has supported (joined consensus or voted in favour of) all resolutions aimed at eliminating gender-based violence. The Netherlands maintains a standing invitation and has a strong record of responding to Special Procedures visit requests (5 out of 6). The Netherlands ratified the CRPD in 2016 and is party to nearly all core conventions, though it sometimes reports late. The Netherlands shows a strong commitment to the UPR, sending high-level delegations to Geneva, submitting mid-term reports, and participating in the UPR reviews of other States – 151 in the first cycle and 189 the second cycle. Since 2015, the Netherlands has made yearly financial voluntary contributions to OHCHR.
Finally, regarding the Netherlands’ pledge to promote freedom of religion and freedom of expression (online and offline), in the summer of 2019 the Netherlands announced its intention to host the 7th meeting of the Istanbul Process on the implementation of Council resolution 16/18 on combatting intolerance, stigmatisation, discrimination, incitement to hatred and violence, and violence, on the basis of religion or belief.
Cooperation with international human rights system
Most overdue report
Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments