THE HAGUE – The Netherlands is working together with Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba to strengthen human rights protection across the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. According to the Dutch government’s Human Rights, Democracy and International Legal Order Report 2025, attention is being given to improving legal protections and ensuring that international human rights standards are applied throughout the Kingdom.
The report notes that the Caribbean countries and islands of the Kingdom — known as CAS (Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten) and BES (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba) — form an integral part of the Kingdom’s human rights responsibilities.
One of the main areas of cooperation is the possible accession of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom to the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, which focuses on preventing and combating violence against women and girls.
The Netherlands, together with the Caribbean countries and islands, has worked toward the inclusion of the CAS and BES islands in the convention process. The report states that during the Dutch chairmanship of the Committee of the Parties of the Istanbul Convention, continued attention was given to the importance of the treaty for preventing violence against women and girls both within and outside Europe.
The Dutch government also highlighted the importance of ensuring that judgments from the European Court of Human Rights receive attention and are implemented within the Kingdom. According to the report, the Netherlands has monitored how human rights rulings are addressed throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The cooperation comes amid broader discussions about democracy, the rule of law and equal rights across the Kingdom. The report emphasizes that human rights protection requires strong institutions, accountability and cooperation between governments and civil society.
For Curaçao, where discussions about governance, social inequality and protection of vulnerable groups remain important political topics, the report underlines the continuing responsibility of both Curaçao and the Netherlands to ensure that international human rights principles are effectively translated into daily practice.