Portal to report suspected civilian harm open
From today, civilians and non-governmental organisations can use a portal to report civilian harm that is believed to have resulted from the use of force by the Netherlands armed forces. The reporting portal is available at Defensie.nl.
The portal allows civilians and non-governmental organizations to report civilian harm. Reports may concern suspected fatalities and injured persons, as well as possible substantial material damage in current or former Dutch deployment areas. The initiative for the portal was announced earlier this year in a letter to the House of Representatives. The Netherlands is the first country in Europe to open a portal for reporting civilian harm.
Accountability
The portal will help to monitor the consequences of military operations. Past cases can also be reported retrospectively. The Netherlands Ministry of Defence will therefore be able to take responsibility when necessary and reduce the risk of civilian harm in future deployments. The portal will also serve as the central location for the filing of reports. This also applies to reports submitted through the Ministry of Defence’s internal line during deployments.
Following the end of a mission or an operation
Service members and veterans (on active duty and following discharge) may also wish to report following the end of a mission or an operation. To do so, they can contact the Veteran Office (only in Dutch), their respective superior or a confidential adviser coordinator of the Netherlands Ministry of Defence.