News item | 5/17/2023 | 16:11
The national government is the first national government employer in the world to sign the Declaration of Amsterdam. The letter of intent was drawn up in 2011 by the Workplace Pride foundation. This foundation is internationally committed to the emancipation of the LGBTIQ+ community in the workplace. The Declaration is named after Amsterdam because that is where Workplace Pride’s head office is located.
The statement is a statement of intent that promotes a safe and comfortable workplace, with equal opportunities for LGBTIQ+ employees. Secretary General Maarten Schurink of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations signed the statement on behalf of the national government, which employs 140,000 people. Schurink: “We want everyone in our workplace to feel comfortable, and that you can be who you are. And that everyone has equal opportunities, regardless of your origin, gender or orientation. There are already various initiatives that contribute to this, often set up by colleagues themselves. As an employer, we explicitly express this ambition with this statement. And can we be held accountable for this by employees.”
Director of Workplace Pride David Pollard: “Workplace Pride congratulates the Dutch government on this important step. This is not only an important statement to their own employees, but also sets a precedent nationally and internationally for how national governments can commit to LGBTIQ+ workplace inclusion.”
Attendees from all over the state
Representatives from various departments were present at the signing, including Marjan Hammersma (Secretary-General, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science), Carsten Herstel (Director-General for Social Security and Integration, SZW) and Nanette van Schelven (Director-General for Customs, Fin) .
The letter of intent has now been signed by almost 50 major employers, such as the municipalities of Utrecht, Amsterdam and The Hague, the UWV, ING, ABN AMRO and KPN.
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