News item | 17-01-2025 | 2:45 PM
The government is working on the creation of one central organization where people can report discrimination and go for support. This allows discrimination to be tackled better. This is what Minister Uitermark of the Interior and Kingdom Relations writes in an outline memorandum about the new system for tackling discrimination. In doing so, she is implementing the government program that advocates a decisive approach to discrimination.
Minister Uitermark: “Our Constitution states that we treat like cases equally in our society. Unfortunately, discrimination remains a persistent reality; many people experience unequal treatment due to, for example, their origins, sexual preference or disability. That is why a decisive approach is needed to combat and prevent discrimination. By organizing this from one central organization, with local counters, we have a better view of what is needed and support is more recognizable and accessible.”
Bottlenecks in the current system
Currently, people who experience discrimination can go to municipal anti-discrimination facilities (ADVs). This is an elaboration of the Municipal Anti-Discrimination Facilities Act (Wga), which prescribes that municipalities offer residents access to a facility where they can report discrimination. The tasks of these ADVs are to register reports and provide independent assistance to reporters of (experienced) discrimination. There are currently 19 separate ADVs in the Netherlands (with a total of 27 counters) covering more than 95% of the municipalities in the Netherlands. These ADVs are affiliated with the national association Discriminatie.nl.
The report ‘Structure, tasks and financing of ADVs’ (Berenschot, 2023) has shown that the current system of ADVs has bottlenecks. For example, some of the current ADVs do not receive the full funds that the government makes available for the implementation of the Wga because municipalities are free in how to spend these funds. The amounts that ADVs receive from their municipalities therefore vary considerably. The new central organization will be financed directly by the government, which will remove that bottleneck.
What will the new system look like?
The new central organization will have the same legal tasks as the current ADVs. Consider registering reports and providing assistance to reporters. In addition, the organization aims to set up activities for prevention, such as encouraging and making it easier to report discrimination. The intended organization will have physical local counters. This way, the local character of the current anti-discrimination provisions is not lost. In that respect, the new system will be comparable to the structures of the Legal Desk and Victim Support Netherlands.
Further planning and process
The transition to this new system takes place in several steps. The Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations will develop the plans from the outline memorandum into a draft bill and put it up for internet consultation in mid-2025 to obtain as many responses as possible. Furthermore, a plan will be prepared for the most careful and smooth transition possible for and of the current ADVs and employees. The intended date of entry into force of the new legislation is January 1, 2027.
Throughout the entire process, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations maintains close contact with the national association Discriminatie.nl and the various ADVs. Other stakeholders will also remain continuously involved.