THE HAGUE – The Netherlands intends to carry out a broad evaluation of programs launched following its slavery apology, including initiatives developed with Curaçao and the other Caribbean islands.
The evaluation is scheduled to culminate in a comprehensive report in 2030.
According to the Netherlands’ proposed 2027 Kingdom Relations budget, funding made available following the slavery apology is intended to promote knowledge and awareness, recognition, commemoration and understanding of the continuing effects of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
The Dutch government says the allocation and programming of these resources must take place in consultation with stakeholders in Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustatius and Sint Maarten.
The subsidy scheme for societal initiatives connected with the trans-Atlantic slavery past will itself undergo an interim evaluation during 2026 and 2027.
The broader 2030 report will bring together monitoring and evaluations covering the 2024-2029 policy period.
The goal is to determine whether the programs have been effective and whether the money allocated following the apology has produced the intended results.
For Curaçao, the evaluation could become important in assessing whether initiatives financed after the Dutch apology have translated into lasting local programs rather than temporary projects.