The Dutch government recently signed the Treaty of Faro this week on behalf of the European and Caribbean Netherlands. The 2005 treaty focuses on the value of heritage for res­idents and the use of heri­tage for social purposes. Ex­amples include attention to heritage in education or the support of heritage projects by citizens.

The treaty is an initiative of the Council of Europe and was signed by Tanja Gongrijp, representative of the Netherlands to the Council of Europe, and Bjorn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. A total of approximately six million euros is available for a policy that strengthens the rela­tionship between heritage and citizens in the period 2023 to 2025.

Although the treaty only officially comes into force upon approval by the First and Second Chambers of Par­liament in The Hague, re­lated plans have been pre­pared.

At the end of last year, the Ministry of Education, Cul­ture and Science OCW an­nounced that 26 such proj­ects will receive a contribu­tion, two of which arc in the Caribbean Netherlands. This concerns a project to involve residents of St. Eu­statius more in the slavery heritage on the island and to draw up a heritage policy plan on Saba.

The Daily Herald.