The Netherlands Compensation Commission Potočari was established on 2 July 2020 in order to implement the Srebrenica civil-law settlement arrangement. We implement the settlement arrangement independently, offering a convenient way to receive compensation without requiring court proceedings.
The Commission
The Commission’s mandate
In fulfilling our responsibilities, we are bound by the Supreme Court’s judgment and by the settlement arrangement designed by the Dutch government to comply with that judgment.
We are independent and are responsible for:
- Receiving and registering compensation claims.
- Assessing the claims submitted to us.
- Concluding settlement agreements with claimants, denying claims, or requesting additional information from claimants and then taking further decisions about their claims on this basis.
The composition of the Commission
The Commission is comprised of three members with a proven track record in the fields of law, dispute resolution and foreign policy. Ms Sylvia Wortmann is the Chair of the Commission and the other two members are Mr Fred Hammerstein and Mr Ed Kronenburg. The Commission’s secretary is Mr Horst Junk. The Commission can obtain the expert assistance that it needs to perform its duties.
Ms S.F.M. Wortmann
Sylvia Wortmann (born in 1956) has been a member of the Dutch Council of State since 2004. Her previous roles included professor of family law and youth law, senior adviser and head of the criminal and sanctions law sector at [what was then] the Ministry of Justice.
Mr A. Hammerstein
Fred Hammerstein (born in 1946) was professor of dispute resolution and is a former vice-president of the Dutch Supreme Court. He was also chair of the Advisory Committee on the Assessment of Restitution Applications for Items of Cultural Value and the Second World War.
Mr E. Kronenburg
Ed Kronenburg (1951) is a former senior civil servant. His previous roles include Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Grand Master of the Royal Household and ambassador in Paris and Beijing.