ASR Apologizes for the Slavery and Colonial Past of Its Predecessors
The Dutch insurance group ASR released on Tuesday the findings of a commissioned historical investigation into the colonial and slavery past of its legal predecessors. CEO Ingrid de Swart apologized on behalf of the company for the involvement of these entities in financing and insuring the slave trade.
Predecessors Involved in the Slavery System
The study, conducted between 2023 and 2026 by the historical research agency Stad en Bedrijf, reveals that ASR's legal predecessors participated in the colonial and slavery systems. The oldest predecessor, Stad Rotterdam, issued 236 insurance policies covering 167 slave transports between 1720 and 1802. By insuring these transports, Stad Rotterdam enabled slave traders to mitigate their financial risks and directly facilitated the trade of enslaved people from Africa. This involvement was not incidental: the insurer was an integral part of the trading system and profited from the exploitation of slaves. Similarly, other predecessors of ASR were intertwined with the colonial system in present-day Indonesia. Four additional entities were linked to the Cultivation System until the nineteenth century, involved in the opium trade and forced labor on coffee and sugar plantations.
A Process of Recognition and Dialogue
Ingrid de Swart stated that 'the research sheds light on a painful chapter of our history.' She added: 'Our legal predecessors contributed to a system that inflicted severe injustice on so many people. ASR apologizes for this. We confront our past and take responsibility for its present and future significance. The publication of this research marks the starting point of a dialogue and further investigation into how we can give meaningful substance to our apologies.' ASR plans to organize several stakeholder dialogue sessions in the coming months. The complete report of the study has been made public.
