THE HAGUE - State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen expressed her disappointment and sadness that the planned Kingdom Conference in March will not take place. She made this statement today in the Dutch House of Representatives. It was partly due to Van Huffelen's efforts that the Kingdom Conference had been revived after many years. However, the four countries in the Kingdom failed to reach an agreement on the format. Aruba and Sint Maarten did not sign the protocol for the conference. According to the State Secretary for Kingdom Relations, this is a missed opportunity.
One of the topics on the agenda would have been the democratic deficit. This pertains to the fact that, on behalf of the entire Kingdom, the Netherlands can impose Kingdom Acts on the islands without Curaçao, Aruba, and Sint Maarten having a say. The Kingdom Conference was scheduled for March 25 and 26.