UN reports €200m Dutch allocation and heritage returns

The UN Fourth Committee concluded its decolonisation debate on 13 October 2026, United Nations Press reported, noting that the Netherlands had allocated €200 million to address the continuing impact of colonialism and slavery. The account also reported that the Netherlands had developed a policy for returning cultural heritage taken involuntarily during colonial times. [1]

A Dutch delegate said colonialism, slavery and the transatlantic slave trade had left their mark on many communities, and that their consequences were still felt in the Caribbean parts of the Netherlands. She said her country was working with countries and communities affected by its colonial past. [1]

The €200 million allocation was described as an existing measure, not a decision taken at the meeting. The Dutch delegate also said the Netherlands had returned objects to Nigeria, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, among other countries. The UN account did not identify the objects or say when they were returned. [1]

United Nations Press recalled that in 2022, four years before the debate, the Dutch prime minister apologised for the country’s past actions towards enslaved people and their descendants. [1]