The UFO Working Group Netherlands (UFO-Werkgroep Nederland - UWN) is one of the working groups of the SUP Foundation. The aim of the UWN is to record and, if possible, investigate UFO reports from the Netherlands.
UFO Reporting Points
UFO reports reach the UWN via this website and affiliated reporting points. The UWN can be contacted for the reception of UFO reports on a 24 hour basis, and every UFO reporter receives a response to confirm that their UFO report has been received and dealt with systematically. All received UFO reports are handled in strict confidence.Investigation
It is then decided whether the report in question can be investigated. This depends, among other factors, on the costs of the investigation and the available manpower. If vital data are missing in a UFO report, such as the date, time or place of observation, the investigation may be hampered or even be impossible.Every investigation conducted starts from a basic premise aimed at eliminating known phenomena and to ascertain contextual factors, regardless of the nature of the observation or the perception of the observer. By determining what a sighting probably was not, a wide range of possibilities are eliminated, so that a more precisely targeted investigation becomes possible.
If the investigation of a UFO report requires specialised knowledge that the UWN does not possess, external experts are sought on a consultancy basis.
Publication
All investigation results are published in our UFO Newsletter, a printed quarterly publication in Dutch for the supporters of the SUP Foundation. When a report is published, the privacy of the reporter is protected and their identity published only if permission to do so has been granted by them.Large investigations are sometimes published in a separate report. In due course, all received UFO reports and investigation results, if any, are placed on this website.
Thorough investigation requires time and effort. In some cases, an extended period may be needed to complete an investigation and publish its findings in a report. The Tornado case was under investigation for more than five years before we could come with a publication.
Contacts
The UWN tries to keep abreast of national and international developments in the UFO field, including scientific research that is relevant to the UFO phenomenon. We maintain contacts with official bodies and individuals for the benefit of research and the acquisition of knowledge.Media Policy
UWN's media policy is passive and restrictive. This implies that it is not UWN's policy to pro-actively inform the Dutch public on the UFO phenomenon in general. However, we do respond to targeted questions about the UFO phenomenon from our supporters, the press and the public. Information on individual UFO reports is given only if we have investigated the report in question.History
The UFO Working Group Netherlands was founded by Rudi Klijnstra, who established a UFO working group within the Integral Natural Phenomena Research (ION) joint venture. He was joined by Jeroen Kumeling and Dorian Rooijakkers. Both had witnessed unidentified aerial phenomena in the early 1990s. The three of them set up the UFO Working Group Netherlands and began to publicise the organisation. Contacts were made with other UFO groups in order to gather information on UFO phenomena. Soon other people joined, e.g. Bart Meinen, the current webmaster of this website. In 1995 the UWN became independent, and in 1997 it was merged with the volunteer projects of the SUP Foundation.Expansion
From 2002, there began cooperation between MUFON Netherlands and the UWN. This resulted in a large and successful joint investigation on the light phenomena that were observed by multiple witnesses in the vicinity of Eindhoven in September 2002. Subsequently, full cooperation between MUFON Netherlands and the UWN was sought, although this did not provide the desired result. The majority of the MUFON Netherlands staff members found that they were restricted in their activities as members of MUFON. On March 12, 2005, they left MUFON Netherlands and joined the UFO Working Group Netherlands, effectively doubling the number of its volunteer staff. This was not only an expansion, but also improved the overall personnel quality of the UFO Working Group Netherlands, which will expand our range of activities.
Some UFOON volunteers, May 20, 2006
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