Islands bypassed, Wescot-Williams says Dutch govt must repair damage from UN slavery vote

GREAT BAY--President of Parliament and Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams says the Kingdom of the Netherlands must do more than promise better communication after reports that the Caribbean countries within the Kingdom were not consulted before the Kingdom abstained from a United Nations vote declaring the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity.

Her comments follow reporting by NOS that the Netherlands did not contact the Caribbean countries of the Kingdom ahead of the UN vote, even though the issue directly affects the former colonies within the Kingdom. NOS reported that Foreign Affairs Minister David van Weel Berendsen acknowledged that communication with those involved throughout the Kingdom “could have been better” and said government would remain mindful of this in the future.

Wescot-Williams said the explanation offered so far falls short of what is required.

“A simple promise to do better in the future is not sufficient. This vote by the Kingdom will live on and will inevitably make future attempts at reparations and reconciliation appear disingenuous,” Wescot-Williams stated.

The UN resolution, adopted in March, declared the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity. According to NOS, two-thirds of countries voted in favor, while the Kingdom of the Netherlands abstained, along with 51 other countries. The Kingdom’s position was that while it recognized the atrocities of the slave trade, it did not want to create a hierarchy of historical atrocities and also objected to the retroactive application of international law.

Wescot-Williams said the abstention sends the wrong signal, particularly to Caribbean people whose ancestors endured centuries of exploitation and whose societies continue to experience the structural consequences of that history.

She emphasized that statements of regret, apologies and commitments to confront the legacy of slavery lose credibility when contradicted by actions on the international stage.

“The abstention sends the wrong signal, particularly to Caribbean people whose ancestors endured centuries of exploitation and whose societies continue to experience the structural consequences of that history,” the MP stated.

NOS also cited Wouter Veenendaal, professor of Kingdom Relations at Leiden University, who said the Netherlands was formally required to discuss the UN resolution with the Caribbean countries because the subject affects the islands as former colonies. He added that doing so would also have been morally appropriate, especially given the continuing debate on the islands about slavery, reparations and equality within the Kingdom.

Wescot-Williams confirmed that she has formally requested clarity from the Prime Minister of St. Maarten through parliamentary questions. She is seeking answers on the Kingdom’s position, the role and involvement of the countries within the Kingdom, and the implications of the abstention for ongoing conversations about reparations, acknowledgment and reconciliation.

The MP said the responses from the Prime Minister will help clarify whether St. Maarten was consulted or informed beforehand, and whether the interests and sensitivities of the Caribbean countries within the Kingdom were adequately represented in the Kingdom’s final position.

According to the NOS report, written questions were also raised in Curaçao and Aruba following the abstention. Former Netherlands Antilles Prime Minister Suzy Camelia-Römer, now a Member of Parliament in Curaçao, called the situation unacceptable and requested a debate. In Aruba, former Prime Minister and current parliamentary faction leader Evelyn Wever-Croes also questioned how the Kingdom could take such a position internationally without first consulting its Caribbean partners.

Wescot-Williams said the issue now goes beyond procedure and communication. She argued that the Kingdom has an obligation to repair the political and moral damage caused by the abstention and to demonstrate, through clear and principled action, that its commitment to reparatory justice is sincere.

“This abstention by the Kingdom needs to be repaired,” she concluded.

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