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Reporting civilian harm

This page will soon be available in several languages.

You can use this page to report civilian harm that you believe may have resulted from the use of force by the Netherlands armed forces. The Netherlands Ministry of Defence (Defence) takes reports of civilian harm seriously and will launch an investigation if there are grounds for doing so.

The importance of reporting

Defence believes that it is important for the general public to be able to report suspected civilian harm. Such reporting enables Defence to collect information on the consequences of its military operations. This allows the organisation to take responsibility when necessary and minimise the risk of civilian harm in the future.

The forms of civilian harm that can be reported

You can file reports regarding:

  • fatalities;
  • injured persons;
  • substantial material damage to private property, such as damage to houses.

You can only file reports regarding deployments of the Netherlands armed forces that occurred under Article 100 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (missions to uphold and strengthen the international rule of law) from the year 2000 onwards. Since that year, elements of the Netherlands armed forces have been deployed to:

  • Afghanistan
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Chad
  • Cyprus
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Eritrea
  • Ethiopia
  • Iraq
  • Lebanon
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Macedonia
  • Mali
  • Palestinian territories
  • Red Sea region
  • Somalia
  • South Sudan
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • United Arab Emirates

Each state actor is responsible for the consequences of its own use of force. It is therefore only possible to report civilian harm that may have been caused by the use of force by the Netherlands armed forces. It is not possible to report civilian harm that is suspected to have been caused by the armed forces of other states.

The processing of your report

After you have filed your report, Defence will contact you as soon as possible. Defence aims to respond within seven working days.

You will be linked to a Defence employee who has been tasked with processing your report. This case manager will serve as your point of contact and will keep you informed about progress in the processing of your report. The case manager may also ask you for additional information. Defence will then carry out an assessment to determine whether a full investigation is required. For example, Defence will ascertain, to the extent possible, whether the Netherlands did indeed use force at the time and location specified in your report.

This reporting portal cannot be used for filing legal claims for compensation.

Need help filling in the form?

Because Defence needs to be able to contact you to ask additional questions or provide feedback on a report, it is not possible to file a report anonymously. However, other persons or parties, such as an NGO, can file a report on your behalf.
What do you wish to report?(required)
Is this date certain?(required)
Around what time did the incident occur?
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Please, also enter the coordinates if you know them.
Briefly describe what happened. Consider the kind of force used (by land, sea or air, for example), a description of the consequences of the use of force, a description of the location, and why you believe that the Netherlands armed forces were involved. Maximum 1500 characters
Evidence of the consequences of the incident (photographs, videos or a document, for example)
Information about the processing of your personal data

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence uses your personal data to process and investigate your report and to contact you. It handles your personal data with care.

Statement of agreement(required)