A/HRC/41/44/Add.2
91.
Finally, there is a clear disparity in Bonaire when it comes to housing. At various
locations around the island there are luxury residential complexes that are often populated
by European Dutch people, whereas the outlying neighbourhoods of Kralendijk and Rincon
have a preponderance of badly maintained, run-down housing where local islanders live.
92.
The Independent Expert was able to see the efforts made by the Krusada
Foundation, now an NGO, to prevent the occurrence of social problems affecting youth and
other vulnerable persons on the island, as well as in their rehabilitation programmes for
persons with addictions and those recently released from imprisonment.
VIII. Conclusions and recommendations
93.
The Independent Expert commends the Dutch Government and society for
having endorsed and demonstrated commitment over the years to the concept and
practice of human rights-based international solidarity, in line with their long
tradition of human rights and rule of law.
94.
Furthermore, the Independent Expert congratulates the Government and all
relevant stakeholders for embracing the Paris Agreement, the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure a
sustainable approach to their environmental actions, inside and outside the country.
He welcomes the environmental and sustainable approach developed by the
Government in its policies and strategies in all relevant activity sectors.
95.
The policy of the Netherlands to welcome refugees and migrants has been in
place for centuries and is noteworthy and appreciated. Coordination with its
European partners and efforts towards aiding countries of departure and transit are
also to be commended. However, in the context of the rise of xenophobic populist
discourses against migrants and refugees in the latest political campaign and the
increased success enjoyed by populist political parties in the latest election, the
Independent Expert emphasizes that such discourses, especially as they are directed
towards refugees and migrants, tend to jeopardize and threaten considerably efforts
to advance human rights-based international solidarity.
96.
The Independent Expert was impressed by the ability and will of the
Government, as well as all the various relevant actors that he met from the civil
society, business, social partners and among the people of the Netherlands, to make an
effort to rethink the ways of addressing the many global challenges that the world is
currently faced with, especially climate change, anti-migrant and refugee policies,
social exclusion, etc. The large consensus within society and across the political
spectrum on the imperative of practising human rights-based international solidarity
witnessed by the Independent Expert during his visit is admirable. However, the
Independent Expert would like to stress that these efforts at the expression of human
rights-based solidarity should also extend in a more ample way to all the different
parts of the Kingdom, including the Caribbean islands that form a part of the
Kingdom, be they quasi-autonomous countries or an integral part of the country of
the Netherlands.
97.
The Independent Expert would like to offer the following recommendations to
the Government with a view to further improving and reinforcing its efforts at the
enhancement of human rights-based international solidarity.
98.
The authorities should continue to strengthen their efforts with regard to the
monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the
Sustainable Development Goals through the implementation of all relevant laws,
policies, regulations, plans of actions, programmes and partnership agreements.
99.
The Government should sign and/or ratify the different international human
rights instruments that it is not yet party to: the International Convention on the
Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; the
Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights; the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a
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