BUSSUM, THE NETHERLANDS – Raúl Henriquez, Director and Secretary-General of the Social and Economic Council (SER) of Curaçao, delivered a powerful call for a cultural shift in how organizations approach social safety and integrity. Speaking at the national congress of the Dutch Association of Confidential Advisors (LVV), Henriquez addressed an audience of over 900 certified advisors, managers, and executives, urging for proactive ethical leadership and a central role for confidential advisors in good governance.
Henriquez was invited to speak at the congress, held at the Aalt conference center in Bussum, by LVV chair Inge te Brake. In his keynote, he emphasized that the role of the confidential advisor must evolve from a passive complaints handler to an “active guardian of human dignity and institutional justice—and by extension, organizational legitimacy.”
The congress theme, “The Confidential Advisor in Motion: Toward Proactivity”, was described by Henriquez as a vital expression of forward-thinking governance.
Social Safety: A Cornerstone of Freedom
Henriquez argued that social safety is not a peripheral issue but a fundamental pillar of the social contract. Citing international legal standards, including ILO conventions, he stated, “The right to a safe and ethical workplace is non-negotiable. Without social safety, there is no true freedom.”
He specifically addressed the challenges in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, including Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, and the Caribbean Netherlands. These societies, he noted, face similar issues as elsewhere: fear-based cultures, silence, informal pressure of loyalty, and a lack of accessible reporting structures. In smaller, tightly-knit communities, social proximity and dependency can further suppress people’s willingness to speak up. This, he said, makes the presence of an independent, well-trained, and protected confidential advisor even more essential.
Bridging Knowledge, Practice, and Policy
Henriquez’s participation—alongside legal expert Sharlyn Villarreal of SER Curaçao—was highlighted by Karin Bosman, founder of Report App BV. Bosman described their presence as “a special moment” and a meaningful acknowledgment of the work her team has been doing on social and psychological safety in Curaçao and Aruba since 2016. She said that their latest research findings, released in September 2024, and her book The Proactive Confidential Advisor, helped inspire the invitation to Curaçao’s SER.
Bosman emphasized the opportunity to strengthen the bridge between research, policy, and practice across borders.
A Call for Structural Investment
Henriquez concluded his address by calling for sustained investment in knowledge exchange, standard-setting, and professional certification for confidential advisors. “Let us not merely coordinate policies,” he urged, “but ethically converge. Let us work together toward an intra-regional legal and moral framework in which the confidential advisor is sustainably empowered.”
His remarks resonated with attendees and added a strong international perspective to the ongoing dialogue on workplace integrity, ethics, and safety across the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
