The Netherlands Institute for Human Rights is the national human rights institute. We conduct research, advise the government and parliament, provide public information, promote human rights education, and report to international human rights institutions. In addition, we judge in individual cases whether someone has been discriminated against at work, in education, or as a consumer.
Vision and mission
The Institute strives for a just society in which everyone can participate in freedom and dignity and where everyone can be themselves. We monitor, highlight, and promote compliance with human rights in the Netherlands, including Caribbean Netherlands. We do this by advising, judging, researching, and informing independently and impartially.
To monitor, highlight, and promote compliance with human rights, we believe that change must take place on four levels that interact with and reinforce each other:
- The basics in order: securing human rights in institutions, legislation, and policy
- Human rights in practice: promoting compliance
- Respect for everyone's human rights: promoting norms
- Space for human rights: promoting social counterbalance
Strategy and multi-year plan 2025-2027
In the coming years, the Institute is committed to equal treatment, inclusion, and protection of fundamental rights. The Strategy and multi-year plan 2025-2027 forms the foundation for our daily work, which we specify annually in work plans and account for in annual reports.
Thematic priorities and statutory tasks
Human rights are under pressure: from growing inequality to undermining of the rule of law and persistent discrimination. In response, we choose three thematic priorities: Rule of Law, Security of Existence, and Non-Discrimination.
Rule of Law
In a democratic rule of law state, the government guarantees the human rights of everyone. However, reality shows this does not always succeed. We want the government to noticeably put more effort into strengthening the rule of law, with emphasis on protecting the rights of people in vulnerable situations.
Security of Existence
Security of existence is also a growing human rights issue. Many people in the Netherlands live in poverty or cannot find suitable housing. The group of homeless people is growing, and social inequality between European and Caribbean Netherlands is increasing. Therefore, we advocate for policies that structurally address poverty and housing problems from a human rights perspective: with coherent policy to protect people in vulnerable situations and their involvement in solutions.
Non-Discrimination
Discrimination remains a multifaceted and persistent problem, both in policy and in practice. We see how structural inequality has become embedded in systems, procedures, and daily life. In the coming years, we mainly want to encourage public organizations to actively detect and tackle discrimination. We also work on better legal protection, for example for people who experience discrimination due to government actions.
Statutory tasks
In addition, the Institute continues to commit to its statutory tasks: non-binding decision on individual discrimination complaints, promoting the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and contributing to human rights education in the Netherlands. Furthermore, we act as the National Prevention Mechanism to prevent inhumane treatment in situations of deprivation of liberty, such as in prisons or closed care.
Additionally, we are building our role as fundamental rights authority for artificial intelligence (AI) to timely signal risks of AI applications for human rights. In Caribbean Netherlands, the mandate will be expanded in the coming years, so that residents of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba can also approach us for rulings on discrimination.
Contact
Do you have a question about human rights in the Netherlands? Are you wondering if you can submit your discrimination complaint to us? Feel free to contact us at:
info@mensenrechten.nl
+31 (0)30 888 3 888