{"id":143391,"date":"2026-05-26T07:15:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T07:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/un-calls-afro-community-speaks-the-netherlands-must-deliver-now-in-the-second-un-decade\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T07:15:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T07:15:19","slug":"un-calls-afro-community-speaks-the-netherlands-must-deliver-now-in-the-second-un-decade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/un-calls-afro-community-speaks-the-netherlands-must-deliver-now-in-the-second-un-decade\/","title":{"rendered":"UN calls, Afro-community speaks: The Netherlands must deliver now in the Second UN Decade"},"content":{"rendered":"

Call to policymakers: from apologies to structural reparatory policies with Afro-professionals at the table.<\/h2>\n

UTRECHT, Netherlands — During the symposium \u2018The Government Must Act\u2019 in Utrecht, representatives of Afro-descendant communities, anti-discrimination organizations and the United Nations called on the Dutch government to take responsibility within the framework of the Second International UN Decade for People of African Descent (2025\u20132034). This global UN agenda was proclaimed on 17 December 2024 as a continuation of the first Decade (2015\u20132024), which, despite good intentions, yielded too few tangible results worldwide.<\/p>\n

The message from the symposium was clear: The Netherlands must engage now \u2013 with actions, not just words.<\/p>\n

What is the UN Decade for People of African Descent?<\/strong>
\nIn 2013, the United Nations proclaimed 2015\u20132024 as the International Decade for People of African Descent, with three central goals: recognition, justice, and development. Member States, including the Netherlands, committed to the accompanying Programme of Activities aimed at tackling structural racism, addressing the injustices of slavery, and strengthening the position of people of African descent.<\/p>\n

Yet in the Netherlands, substantial national efforts failed to materialize: there was no National Action Plan (NAP), no structural funding, and only limited institutional policies. Meanwhile, Afro-Dutch organizations actively contributed to UN reporting, formulated a 12- point plan, and organized events and knowledge-sharing initiatives, including an NGO NAP proposal.<\/p>\n

The UN has therefore extended the Decade through the end of 2034 and is explicitly urging Member States to ensure structural implementation, with reparatory measures, data-driven policies, and collaboration with communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first Decade was largely symbolic. This Second Decade must become the Reparations Decade,\u201d said Dr. Barryl Biekman, coordinator of the UN Decade in the Netherlands. \u201cReparations are not abstract. They require investment in education, the labor market, and representation. Concrete policies at both local and national levels. Restoration of trust and dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ten Years of Policy Silence \u2013 Time for Action<\/strong>
\nAlthough the Netherlands issued an official apology in 2022 for its role in slavery, there is still no National Action Plan (NAP) to implement recognition, reparations, and structural change. This not only violates a moral responsibility but also deviates from the UN\u2019s requirement for national implementation of the Decade\u2019s Programme of Activities. The UN states that only with clear plans, political will, and structural resources can lasting impact be achieved.<\/p>\n

\u201cRecognition has been voiced, but action is still missing,\u201d emphasized Dr. Mila Paspalanova, representing the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). \u201cThe Netherlands has the opportunity to lead. The people here today form a powerful coalition \u2013 they deserve to be heard and supported.\u201d<\/p>\n

A National Action Plan that delivers on recognition and justice must involve more than paper plans. It requires a fundamental shift in who gets to shape policy. That is why Afro-Dutch communities are calling for the active participation of Afro-professionals in the development, implementation, and monitoring of policy. Their expertise and lived experience are essential to prevent policy from remaining stuck in abstractions or well-meaning symbolism. Structural involvement of Afro-professionals \u2013 within ministries, advisory boards, oversight bodies, and implementing agencies \u2013 is essential to turn systemic injustice into lasting solutions. Only then can words like \u201crecognition\u201d and \u201creparations\u201d take root in the practice of governance and justice.\u00a0At the same time, it is vital that policymakers and government organizations invest in their own awareness. The evaluation of the first UN Decade emphasized that civil servants and administrators must be willing to engage in education about colonial legacies, institutional racism, and Afrophobia. Only a learning government can build equal partnerships with communities and develop truly inclusive policy.<\/p>\n

The numbers are clear: Afrophobia is rising<\/strong>
\nThe need for policy is urgent. During the symposium, three anti-discrimination services presented alarming figures from 2024:<\/p>\n