Relationship dossier
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Relationship assessment
Dutch treaty rights in Svalbard operate within Norwegian sovereignty
Kingdom of the Netherlands toward Svalbard and Jan Mayen
+15The Netherlands joined the Svalbard Treaty, accepting Norwegian sovereignty over Svalbard while securing equal rights for treaty parties in specified activities there.
Svalbard and Jan Mayen toward Kingdom of the Netherlands
Not assessedOverall relationship
Not assessedHow to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The Netherlands is a party to the 1920 Svalbard Treaty, which recognizes Norwegian sovereignty over Svalbard while granting treaty parties equal rights in specified activities. Svalbard and Jan Mayen are administered by Norway and do not conduct an independent foreign policy.
Key developments
The Netherlands signed the Svalbard Treaty, which recognizes Norwegian sovereignty over the archipelago and grants treaty parties equal rights in specified activities.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of Dutch government involvement in current research or other activities in Svalbard is unclear.
- Jan Mayen is administered separately from Svalbard, and the relevance of the Svalbard Treaty to Dutch conduct concerning Jan Mayen is limited.