WILLEMSTAD – The leaders of Curaçao, Aruba, the Netherlands and Sint Maarten will each present their own “State of the Nation” during the first Kingdom Summit in Sint Maarten in November, giving each country an opportunity to openly address its achievements, challenges and priorities within the Kingdom.
The presentations will be one of the central elements of the two-day summit scheduled for November 17 and 18.
Rather than focusing exclusively on common Kingdom issues, each government will first have an opportunity to present its own perspective on where the country currently stands.
During their respective State of the Nation presentations, the leaders are expected to reflect on successes and challenges facing their countries. The discussions will then be used to identify policy areas where new cooperation or closer collaboration between the four governments could be beneficial.
The format could provide an important opportunity for the Caribbean countries in particular to place their domestic priorities and challenges directly on the agenda of a meeting involving all four Kingdom governments.
The Curaçao government says cooperation is essential to creating a Kingdom that is prepared for future challenges. Mutual respect for the constitutional position of each country, maintaining strong connections and a willingness to assist one another are being presented as key principles behind the new summit.
The meeting is also intended to address a broader issue in Kingdom relations: continuity.
Curaçao, Aruba, the Netherlands and Sint Maarten want to create greater cohesion and consistency in consultations between their governments rather than allowing cooperation to depend primarily on individual meetings or specific issues as they arise.
Host Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina of Sint Maarten said the summit should demonstrate that cooperation and recognition of the differences between the four countries can go hand in hand.
“By working together while simultaneously recognizing our differences, we are building a stronger Kingdom that is prepared for the future,” Mercelina said.
The first Kingdom Summit will therefore serve not only as a meeting between the four governments, but also as a test of whether the countries can establish a more consistent high-level dialogue about their individual challenges and their shared future within the Kingdom.