CAT/C/NLD/CO/7
United Nations
Convention against Torture
and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment
or Punishment
Distr.: General
18 December 2018
Original: English
Committee against Torture
Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of
the Netherlands*
1.
The Committee against Torture considered the seventh periodic report of the
Netherlands (CAT/C/NLD/7) at its 1693rd and 1696th meetings (see CAT/C/SR.1693 and
1696), held on 20 and 21 November 2018, and adopted the present concluding observations
at its 1712th and 1715th meetings, held on 3 and 5 December 2018.
A.
Introduction
2.
The Committee welcomes the dialogue with the State party’s delegation and the oral
replies and written information provided in relation to the concerns raised by the
Committee.
B.
Positive aspects
3.
The Committee welcomes the ratification of or accession to the following
international instruments by the State party:
(a)
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in 2016;
(b)
Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence
against Women and Domestic Violence, in 2015.
4.
The Committee also welcomes the State party’s initiatives to revise its legislation in
areas of relevance to the Convention, including the adoption of:
(a)
Adolescent Criminal Law of 1 April 2014;
(b)
Mandatory Reporting Code (Domestic Violence and Child Abuse) Act, in
2013;
(c)
New Criminal Code, which aims to expand the definition of “victim of
domestic abuse” to include partners or companions, in 2015 in Sint Maarten.
5.
The Committee further welcomes the initiatives of the State party to amend its
policies, programmes and administrative measures to give effect to the Convention,
including:
(a)
The adoption of the national action plan “Together against trafficking in
human beings,” in 2018;
(b)
The establishment of the inter-country taskforce in the Caribbean part of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands, in response to the 2016 judgment by the Grand Chamber of
* Adopted by the Committee at its sixty-fifth session (12 November-7 December 2018).
GE.18-22087(E)