Jetten pledges slavery apologies follow-up, MP Roseburg says St. Maarten will follow issue closely

THE HAGUE--Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten has pledged continued engagement with representatives of the black community on concrete follow-up to the Dutch government’s apologies for the role of the Dutch state in the slavery past.

The commitment followed a meeting at The Black Archives, located in the Suriname Museum, where Jetten spoke with dozens of people on the initiative of Zwart Manifest. The organization recently sent an urgent letter to the Cabinet, calling for a clearer and more structured government approach to healing, recovery, racism, discrimination and equal opportunity.

The meeting comes three years after then Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologized on behalf of the Dutch state for its role in the slavery past. At the time, Rutte said the apologies should be “not a period, but a comma,” meaning they should mark the beginning of continued action rather than the end of the matter.

Jetten echoed that message in a statement on social media, saying the work after the 2022 apologies must continue.

“Not a period, but a comma,” Jetten wrote. “This is necessary, because after the apologies in 2022 for the role of the Dutch state in the slavery past, we are now working on healing and reparation. To convert the impact of the past in the present into a shared future.”

He said the coming years will require a firm approach to racism and discrimination, as well as the creation of equal opportunities in the Netherlands, in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and in Suriname.

“We can't do this alone, we do it together. But it can and must be better,” Jetten stated.

According to Mitchell Esajas of The Black Archives, the discussion was constructive. He said Jetten made a concrete commitment to support policy on healing and recovery, and that there is agreement that the conversation will continue.

For the organizations involved, the concern is that the urgency that followed the apologies has weakened. Esajas said there was supposed to be follow-up through policy and concrete actions to address the continuing impact of slavery, but that three years later many questions remain about what has and has not been done.

One of the issues raised is the 200 million euros that was to be made available for policy intensification and an awareness fund. While the fund exists, community representatives say questions remain about how it functions and whether it is delivering the intended results.

The organizations are calling for what they describe as a national route to recovery. This would provide a structured and effective way for government and society to work together on healing and recovery, while addressing racism, equality within the Kingdom, the relationship with Suriname and the position and rights of Indigenous and Maroon communities.

MP Sjamira Roseburg from St. Maarten, as Chairlady of the Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations, CKAIR took note of PM Jetten's visit and said: "St. Maarten will continue to follow these developments closely. She noted that the St. Maarten delegation has already placed the legacy of slavery back on the agenda during the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation, IPKO, and will continue to monitor whether the discussions now taking place in the Netherlands develop into concrete policy and action."

"The matter cannot be treated as a one-time conversation or limited to ceremonial recognition. She said the legacy of slavery remains connected to questions of equality, consultation, representation and meaningful participation within the Kingdom. For that reason, she said St. Maarten will continue to use IPKO and CKAIR to push for follow-up, clearer commitments and sustained dialogue that respects the history and lived reality of Caribbean communities within the Kingdom."

During her country update at the recent IPKO, she raised concern about the Netherlands’ abstention on the United Nations resolution recognizing the trafficking and enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity, and said St. Maarten’s concern was not only the vote itself, but the lack of meaningful consultation with the Caribbean countries before the Kingdom’s position was taken.

She linked the issue directly to cooperation within the Kingdom, saying the legacy of slavery remains deeply connected to the people St. Maarten’s Parliament represents and must remain a continuing subject for dialogue, accountability and follow-up within IPKO.

Jetten’s visit to The Black Archives was also viewed as significant because previous talks were generally held at the Catshuis in The Hague. Community representatives welcomed the decision to hold the discussion at a cultural and archival institution closely connected to the history, memory and legacy of black writers, researchers and communities.

The meeting took place ahead of the national commemoration of slavery history, Keti Koti, where Jetten is expected to speak. Community representatives said they hope the commemoration will include clearer commitments and that concrete advice, policy and action will follow after July 1.

Jetten said the discussion will not end with the meeting.

“In the coming period we will work together,” he said.

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