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NOA Conference: Dutch Report Card

23/03/2023

On the 23^rd of March, Dutch policy-makers and policy influencers from different fields and perspectives gathered at the Ministry of Justice of the Hague to consider the results of the newly-released NOA Dutch Report Card. 

Attendees considered both the successes and areas of improvement that the Report Card highlighted within Dutch policy and legislation. The report demonstrates that the Dutch government can and should do more to address antisemitism. Experts and government representatives interviewed for this research indicate a willingness on the part of the State to pass specific measures and to honour commitments made at the national or EU level.

The creation of the office of the National Coordinator (NCAB) is a positive step and will ensure the holistic nature of the still-emerging Dutch National Action Plan on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life.

However, interviewees also underscore that the government tends to rely on the excellent network of effective CSOs to maintain and promote social cohesion. As a result, benchmarking for this report reveals lower government expertise in the fields of education, remembrance, dialogue, and culture, indicating a potential gap between intentions and the implementation of measures that can produce concrete results.

The Netherlands has made progress in acknowledging the mistakes of the past, and there has been notable progress in the fields of security, higher education and sport. However, education about antisemitism still tends to focus on the Holocaust and its impact rather than on more contemporary forms of antisemitism.

You can find the Dutch Report Card in English here and in Dutch here.

Below, the agenda for the day is available.