PHILIPSBURG - Recently, the President of Parliament of Sint Maarten, Mrs. Sarah Wescot-Williams, hosted a Tripartite Meeting with the President of Parliament of Aruba, Mr. Alfred Marlon Sneek, and the President of Parliament of Curaçao, Mr. Fergino Brownbill. The meeting took place on Monday, June 30, 2025, in Sint Maarten. 

The goal of the meeting was to discuss matters of mutual interest between the parliaments of the three Caribbean countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. During the deliberations, the presidents agreed to resume the Tripartite meetings between the three parliamentary delegations and to reinstate the previously established schedule of three in-person meetings and one virtual meeting per year. 

The presidents also discussed the upcoming Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO), scheduled for September 2025 in the Netherlands. Recognizing the importance of the IPKO platform—particularly in these times—all three presidents expressed their intention for their respective parliaments to participate in the September session. Preparations for this meeting are already underway by the Dutch Senate and House of Representatives. 

Additionally, the presidents discussed the issue of a Kingdom Dispute Regulation and agreed to work on completing the legislative process so the matter can be submitted for formal consideration. 

The intensification of regional parliamentary cooperation was another key topic, with a focus on how the parliaments can work together on matters of importance to the three countries, while also adopting a broader view on regional cooperation. 

Furthermore, the presidents explored the possibility of having standing committees of the three parliaments collaborate on topics not explicitly related to Kingdom relations. They also agreed to begin exploring joint committee work on analyzing the functioning methods of their respective parliaments—specifically focusing on their Rules of Order. 

Presidents Sneek, Brownbill, and Wescot-Williams agreed to hold this high-level discussion on an annual basis, with Curaçao set to host the next Tripartite Meeting of Presidents in the coming year. 

The Secretaries-General of the respective parliaments—Mr. H. Hek (Aruba), Mr. S. Cijntje (Curaçao), and Mr. G. Richardson (Sint Maarten)—provided support to their presidents during the meeting.