Poverty, human rights concerns in Saba, Statia, and Bonaire draw UN scrutiny

THE HAGUE--Poverty, inadequate housing, and gaps in social security continue to undermine the economic and social rights of residents in Saba, St. Eustatius, and Bonaire, according to a new report from the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. These concerns, long raised by local communities, will now be placed squarely before the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) when the Dutch government is questioned in Geneva on September 16 and 17, 2025.

The Institute’s findings paint a troubling picture of daily life in the Caribbean Netherlands, where the high cost of living forces many residents into persistent financial hardship. Affordable and social housing is in short supply, pushing people toward expensive private rentals. Rent subsidies, when available, are limited in scope and often fall short of actual housing costs. This leaves a growing number of families and individuals struggling to maintain a decent standard of living.

A significant part of the problem lies in the inequality between the European and Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. The Institute points out that several key social security provisions, such as unemployment benefits and facilities for people with disabilities, are not available to residents in Saba, Statia, and Bonaire. These benefits, standard in the European Netherlands, could provide a safety net against poverty, yet their absence in the islands leaves many without basic protections.

The report also highlights that poverty in the Caribbean Netherlands is not only a question of income but also of limited access to other fundamental rights. Housing shortages, for example, make it difficult for young people to move into independent living, while those who experience homelessness often have no access to shelters or support services.

Beyond poverty, the Institute’s report takes a broader view of the state of economic and social rights across the Netherlands. It concludes that, despite stated ambitions by the outgoing Dutch cabinet to strengthen social security, progress remains slow, and those in vulnerable positions are not seeing meaningful improvement. The government, it says, must better assess how laws and policies impact these groups and involve them directly in decision-making.

The CESCR will also examine the Netherlands’ obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which include the right to social security, the right to housing, the right to health, and the right to work. While the Netherlands has submitted its own written report to the Committee, the Institute’s independent submission offers a contrasting view, focusing on where government policies and implementation are falling short.

For the Caribbean Netherlands specifically, the report raises additional alarm over climate change. The islands’ living environment is described as particularly vulnerable to climate impacts, yet there are still no island-specific climate adaptation plans in place. Delays or inadequacies in climate policy could have direct consequences for health, housing, and food security in the territories.

The UN review will force the Dutch government to answer pointed questions about its performance in protecting economic and social rights, not just in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague, but also in Saba’s villages, Statia’s hillsides, and Bonaire’s communities. For residents of these islands, the hope is that the international attention will translate into concrete action: stronger social protections, affordable housing solutions, and a fairer alignment of rights and benefits across all parts of the Kingdom.

𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘶𝘦𝘣𝘭𝘰 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘰 𝘜𝘯𝘪 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘖𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘑𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘈𝘯𝘵ó𝘯𝘪𝘰 𝘎𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴

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