Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uri Rosenthal Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, Henk Bleker Member of Dutch Parliament Joel Voordewind (ChristianUnion)

Motions and questions in Dutch Parliament
on Dalits, child labour, EU-India free agreement, role of UN etc.

In December 2010 and June 2011 the Dutch Parliament adopted two motions on human rights in India.

The first motion concerned the sustainability and human rights clause in the EU-India free trade treaty about which the EU and India are presently negotiating. Child labour and discrimination and exploitation of Dalits are mentioned prominently in the motion. The Parliament requested Minister Rosenthal of Foreign Affairs:
"to exert its efforts in the European context for a robust sustainability chapter, in which among other things is being aimed at: the reduction of child labour, the improvement of the position of Dalits, the availability of medicines for HIV/AIDS and a dispute settlement mechanism; and not to be agree with strongly weakened compromise".

The second motion of June 2011 stated:
"that the around 250 million Dalits are victim of countless violations of fundamental human rights and that this group disproportionally suffers from violations of labour rights in supply chains of Dutch companies including in garments, seeds and natural stone".
The Parliament has four specific requests to the Dutch government including raising the Dalit issue in EU and UN context, raising the issue as part of the agenda of the UN Human Rights Council; addressing companies with regard to their duty to combat caste discrimination and financial support to the International Dalit Solidarity Network.

In July 2011 Minister Rosenthal visited India after which he informed the press that he "had great confidence in the way the Indian government is actively tackling these issues (child labour, forced labour, non-discrimination etc.)".

Member of Parliament Mr. Voordewind of the ChristianUnion party has posed written questions to the government on 31 October 2011 on the implementation of the motions, the statements by Minister Rosenthal and about what the Netherlands is doing to promote fundamental labour rights and other human rights in India.
After highly unsatisfactory answers to his 31 October questions, he raised another set of questions on 16 January 2012 focusing on the implementation of the motions. In one of his questions he expresses his doubt if the Minister is really willing to implement the ‘Dalit motion’ which he had promised to do after the adoption of the motion.

See below for the text of both motions and the parliamentary questions and answers of the Minister.

Apr 25, 2012:	Motion Dutch Parliament on full supply-chain transparency and the eradication of child labour in the textile chain
Mar 13, 2012:	Answers to Questions of member Voordewind (ChristianUnion) (submitted 16 January 2012) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation about child labour and the position of Dalits in India
Nov 23, 2011:	Answers to questions of member Voordewind (ChristianUnion) (submitted 31 October 2011) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation about child labour and the position of Dalits in India
Jul 1, 2011:	Large majority in Dutch Parliament supports motion to combat caste discrimination (press release DNN)
Dec 15, 2010:	Motion Dutch Parliament on EU-India Free Trade Agreement