THE HAGUE - State Secretary for Kingdom Relations, Zsolt Szabó, is currently exploring ways to monitor the integrity of public governance in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, in collaboration with Transparency International. Szabó acknowledges that governance integrity is an autonomous matter for the countries involved, and their consent is necessary before proceeding. He is engaging in discussions with the respective governments to address this issue.
In response to questions from Dutch Member of Parliament Peter van Haasen (PVV), Szabó confirmed that he is aware of the unstable political situation and widespread corruption in the autonomous countries within the Kingdom. Szabó also emphasized the importance of good governance, solid financial policies, and economic self-reliance, all of which are dependent on an administration free from corruption.
While the monitoring of corruption and integrity is a responsibility of the individual countries, Szabó highlighted the value of collaboration within the Kingdom. He pointed out that effective governance is essential for sustainable development and stable government finances. The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) already provides 1 million euros annually to support initiatives aimed at combatting organized crime in governance. Additionally, BZK facilitates the Integrity Platform Dutch Caribbean, which promotes knowledge-sharing on governance integrity within the Kingdom.
Szabó noted the significance of monitoring integrity and governance across the Caribbean territories, in line with international standards. To achieve this, he plans to work with Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten to explore the feasibility and benefits of joining existing international indexes and monitoring systems that measure integrity and good governance. Transparency International has previously conducted integrity assessments in Curaçao (2013) and Sint Maarten (2015), but these were not part of its regular Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), and the Caribbean territories are not included in its assessment of the Netherlands.
Szabó also referenced the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), which obliges signatory countries to implement measures to combat corruption. Monitoring takes place periodically under the UNCAC framework. The Netherlands has ratified the convention, and Szabó welcomed Curaçao's decision in March 2024 to initiate the ratification process for the UNCAC treaty.
The exploration of monitoring mechanisms and enhanced governance collaboration marks a positive step towards improving the integrity of public administration in the Caribbean regions of the Kingdom.