Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten has acknowledged that communication with Caribbean nations regarding the Netherlands’ recent abstention on a United Nations resolution concerning the history of slavery was insufficient. Jetten made the admission during a visit to the Tula Museum in Curaçao, a significant site dedicated to the island’s resistance history, where he addressed regional leaders following the international vote.
The UN vote resolution described the transatlantic slave trade as the most serious crime against humanity in history. The Netherlands chose to abstain after failing to reach an internal agreement with other European Union nations on the specific wording of the text. Jetten stated that the coordination between The Hague and the Caribbean countries within the Kingdom, as well as Suriname, was lacking prior to the decision.
“We did not manage to reach an agreement with EU countries on the text of the resolution and therefore we abstained from voting,” Jetten explained. “This was not communicated clearly in advance to the six islands and Suriname.” He frankly assessed that his government’s handling of the diplomatic process “does not deserve a beauty prize,” though he noted that the direct explanations provided during his current tour were appreciated by local officials.
Looking beyond the recent diplomatic misstep, the Prime Minister emphasized that the Netherlands’ responsibility extends beyond formal apologies for the past. “We rightly offered apologies for the role in the history of slavery and the impact it still has today, but it cannot stop at apologies,” Jetten declared. “We must continue to work together and help others.”
