Annual Honorary Consul Conference 2022
This week, we welcomed our Honorary Consuls for the first in-person annual conference since the Covid pandemic.
This week, we welcomed our Honorary Consuls for the first in-person annual conference since the Covid pandemic.
The 12 Honorary Consuls across the UK are an important part of the Dutch Government’s network in the UK, together with the Netherlands Business Support Office in Manchester and the Embassy in London and. The Consuls are based accross the UK: in Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Dover, Edinburgh, Hull, Norwich and Southampton, as well as in Bermuda, Gibraltar and Guernsey. The Consuls are the ears and eyes on the ground, accross the UK, and well connected among local authorities, business and Dutch communities. Their insights and contacts are invaluable for the joint services for our clients – citizens, companies and civil servants.
The two-day event started with a dinner at the residence of Ambassador Karel van Oosterom to reconnect in person, introduce new Embassy colleagues, and to welcome some new Honorary Consuls. During the conference, we talked about the common purpose, common values and common agenda of the network in the UK, with updates and exchanges on the latest developments in both the Netherlands as well as across the UK.
The conference has been very valuable for our joint work in the coming 12 months, and enjoyable to connect and reconnect with everyone in person. Onto next year’s conference and hopefully with lots of local activities until then!