News item | 11-02-2025 | 16:12
With the establishment of the Memenkings Committee Slavery Past Stichting, the Cabinet has taken an important step in the implementation of the agreements concerning slavery past. The memorial committee will be given a central role in the national and kingdom -wide commemoration of the past slavery and the promotion of social awareness about this. Minister Uitermark (Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations) also writes this on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Education, Culture and Science today in a letter to the House of Representatives.
The memorial committee consists of members of different parts of the Kingdom, including Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba. The addition of representatives of Aruba and Suriname is in preparation.
Role and responsibilities
From this year on, the memorial committee is organizing the National Remembrance Slavery past on 1 July in Amsterdam and works closely with Ninsee (National Institute of Nederlands Slavery and inheritance). The committee operates as an independent foundation without political control, as laid down in the articles of association. This guarantees an inclusive approach in which there is room for various perspectives and initiatives.
Progress and cooperation
The establishment of the memorial committee stems from the actions mentioned in the government’s response as a result of the apologies for the history of slavery. This letter refers to the importance of structural recognition of the past slavery and its impact on contemporary society. The committee will also play an important role in the further dialogue about the past slavery and the stimulation of projects and initiatives that investigate this past.
Future -oriented working on awareness and connection
This establishment is part of a broader package of measures, as set out in the progress letter offered to the House of Representatives by the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations on 11 February. In this letter, in addition to the establishment of the Memoring Committee Slavery Past, the subsidy schemes for social initiatives and other measures for awareness and recognition are discussed. The progress of the processes in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and Suriname is also highlighted.
Read the letter of parliament about progress slavery history here.