THE HAGUE – Delegations from the parliaments of Curaçao, Aruba, and St. Maarten have expressed moral support for the BES islands in their resistance to parts of the new WolBES and FinBES legislation.

On the eve of the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO), the three delegations adopted a resolution stating that the Dutch government must respect the right to self-determination of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba, and that the island councils should be granted “meaningful participation” in decisions that directly affect them. The resolution was signed by parliamentary speakers Brownbill, Sneek, and Wescot-Williams.

The island governments of the BES have voiced strong objections, particularly against the continued existence of the office of the Kingdom Representative. Their frustration has grown since the Schoof cabinet unilaterally reversed an earlier agreement made with former State Secretary Van Huffelen to abolish the position.

Current State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Van Marum, speaking with Caribbean media on Friday, acknowledged the concerns but stressed that in the European Netherlands every lower level of government also has an overseer with the authority to intervene when necessary. He is scheduled to travel to the Caribbean Netherlands in mid-October, where the issue will undoubtedly be discussed further.