Countries / Netherlands / Dossier
Netherlands
A combined view of Netherlands's UN General Assembly speeches, treaty commitments, and voting record.
The narrative paragraphs below are AI-generated syntheses of the data shown — the tables and figures themselves come directly from the underlying records, not from the AI.
Compare with another country →Speech history
The Netherlands has maintained a consistent rhetorical commitment to multilateralism and international law throughout its General Assembly addresses, with multilateralism scores remaining predominantly in the 78–96 range. After a notable dip in 2011 (68), the country's emphasis on multilateral cooperation rebounded and largely held steady through 2021, before declining to 62–78 in recent years (2023–2025)—a shift coinciding with the Ukraine crisis and other regional conflicts. Emotional intensity has gradually increased overall, particularly spiking in 2013, 2014, 2022, 2023, and 2025 in response to specific crises, while the Netherlands has consistently backed its rhetorical appeals with concrete commitments, whether institutional proposals or specific financial and diplomatic pledges.
| Session | Multilateralism | Emotional intensity | Concreteness | Self-accountability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Very High | Medium | Medium | High |
| 2009 | Very High | High | High | Medium |
| 2010 | High | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| 2011 | High | High | Medium | Medium |
| 2013 | Very High | High | High | Medium |
| 2014 | Very High | High | High | High |
| 2015 | Very High | High | High | High |
| 2017 | Very High | Medium | High | High |
| 2018 | Very High | Medium | High | High |
| 2020 | Very High | Medium | High | High |
| 2022 | High | High | High | High |
| 2023 | High | High | High | High |
| 2024 | High | High | Medium | Medium |
| 2025 | High | High | High | Medium |
Treaty status
Full treaty record →The Netherlands has demonstrated near-universal commitment to international law instruments, ratifying 23 of 24 treaties tracked across arms control, environment, human rights, international justice, and trade governance. Its only abstention is the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, reflecting NATO alliance considerations rather than opposition to non-proliferation norms. Particularly strong ratification coverage spans environmental agreements (all 10 tracked), human rights conventions (all 5 tracked), and international justice mechanisms, underscoring a consistent institutional posture favoring multilateral legal frameworks.
Arms control & security
- Arms Trade TreatyRatified
- Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban TreatyRatified
- Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their DestructionRatified
- Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear WeaponsNo action
Environment & climate
- Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their DisposalRatified
- Convention on Biological DiversityRatified
- Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone LayerRatified
- Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeRatified
- Minamata Convention on MercuryRatified
- Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone LayerRatified
- Paris AgreementRatified
- Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International TradeRatified
- Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic PollutantsRatified
- United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in AfricaRatified
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeRatified
Human rights
- Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or PunishmentRatified
- Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against WomenRatified
- Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesRatified
- Convention on the Rights of the ChildRatified
- International Covenant on Civil and Political RightsRatified
International justice
- Rome Statute of the International Criminal CourtRatified
Trade & governance
- United Nations Convention against CorruptionRatified
- United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized CrimeRatified
- United Nations Convention on the Law of the SeaRatified
Voting record
Full voting record →The Netherlands votes affirmatively on the vast majority of General Assembly resolutions (57% yes, 15% no, 27% abstain out of 5,694 votes), indicating broad alignment with UN consensus positions. Its rare notable dissents—five instances between 1984 and 2011 where it voted against resolutions supported by 96–97% of members—reflect principled opposition to specific measures, including votes against apartheid-related financial pressures, depleted uranium concerns, and colonial independence provisions, suggesting selective disagreement with particular approaches to human rights and development advocacy rather than systematic obstruction.
Notable dissents from consensus
International financial pressures on the apartheid economy of South Africa : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
1989-11-22 · voted N · 97% voted yes
Effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
2007-12-05 · voted N · 96% voted yes
The right to development : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
2011-12-19 · voted N · 96% voted yes
Questions relating to the programme budget for the biennium 1984-1985 : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
1984-12-18 · voted N · 96% voted yes
Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
1993-12-10 · voted N · 96% voted yes
Human development
Full HDI record →Human Development Index: 0.955 (Very High), ranked #8 globally in 2023.
Combines life expectancy, education, and income into one comparable score, 0 to 1. Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025 — deterministic figures, not AI-generated.
1990–2023