THE HAGUE - The Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten signed a mutual agreement today. This forms the legal foundation for the reforms previously agreed upon under the name of COHO.  

Since the end of 2020, the Countries have been working with the Netherlands on necessary reforms in their public sector, as agreed in the Country Packages. This cooperation aims to strengthen the economies of the Countries, with a view to promoting the well-being of their residents.  

With this mutual arrangement, the governments of Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten commit themselves for several years to the implementation of the reforms in their public sectors. The Netherlands is committed to supporting this by making people and resources available. 

The four Prime Ministers and the State Secretary

Temporary Work Organization  

The Country Packages, as agreed with each country at the end of 2020, remain the basis for cooperation. To support the implementation of the Country Packages, the Temporary Work Organization, TWO, will continue to exist within the Ministry of the Interior. 

The TWO carries out its task in conjunction with the Implementing Organizations that have been established in each of the Countries under the Prime Ministers. Together they are responsible for supporting, guiding, and monitoring the implementation of the reforms.  

The TWO has more than 30 million euros available annually up to and including 2027. Approximately 6.5 million of this is spent on administrative costs, both for TWO's own staff and for the deployment of experts from other departments.  

The remaining funds can be used to finance reform projects or to provide additional expertise or implementation capacity.  

Mediation  

Now that the implementation agendas and reports will be determined jointly, and action plans require approval from the Netherlands, this means that agreement must be reached on their content. 

It is conceivable that this will not always work on all points. Article 8 of the mutual arrangement stipulates that an independent mediator will be appointed in those cases.  

The mutual arrangement came into force today and applies in principle for four years, until April 3, 2027. After that date, there is the possibility of an extension for a maximum of two years each time. There is a provision for an evaluation after three years.