THE NETHERLANDS (THE HAGUE) – Honorable Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary, Drs. Gracita R. Arrindell, attended several formal events related to the transatlantic slavery commemoration and wreath-laying.
There was a march through the streets of The Hague which she attended followed by an extensive commemoration program organized by the National Institute for the Dutch Slavery History and Heritage (NiNsee).
During this annual commemoration we reflect on the very painful history of the transatlantic slavery past. Slavery in Suriname and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom was officially abolished on July 1, 1863. In Suriname the freedmen were obliged to continue working on the plantations for another ten years (1873).
Minister Arrindell participated in wreath-laying ceremony on behalf of Sint Maarten.
According to NiNsee, more and more Dutch municipalities are investigating their own past with the history of transatlantic slavery and then paying attention to this past. In 2024, various commemorations were planned throughout the Netherlands for June 30 and July 1.
This year, July 1, 2024, also marks the official end of the Year of Remembrance, 160 years of the legal abolition of slavery. During the commemoration year 2023/2024, the Dutch Kingdom reflected on the Dutch history of transatlantic slavery and the contemporary impact of this history.
