Coalition parties question Dutch human rights award presentation

DutchNews, September 3, 2018

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein. Photo: UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré

Foreign affairs minister Stef Blok came under fire on Monday for presenting a major Dutch humans rights award to the departing UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein. 

Zeid has been criticised for suspending Swedish diplomat Anders Kompass who told the French authorities about the abuse of children in the Central African Republic by French peacekeeping troops. 

He was later reinstated by a tribunal but resigned after Hussein refused to apologise. 

Zeid is due to be presented with the Dutch Mensenrechtentulp (human rights tulip) on Monday afternoon in the Knights Chamber in the parliamentary complex. 

But MPs from three of the four coalition parties are angry that Blok will present the award. ‘It should only happen if Zeid apologises for the way he treated whistleblower Anders Kompass, who raised the question of the sexual abuse of children by soldiers,’ said D66 MP Sjoerd Sjoerdsma. 

Sjoerdsma, CDA MP Pieter Omtzigt and ChristenUnie’s Joel Voordewind have now asked parliamentary questions about the issue. In particular they want to know how the committee reached its decision to award the prize to Zeid, who is a Jordanian prince. According to website Nu.nl, Blok himself was responsible for choosing to give the award to Zeid.