WILLEMSTAD – Parliamentary delegations from Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten have raised concerns about legislative initiatives originating in the Netherlands that affect the three Caribbean countries without their prior consultation.
The issue was discussed during a tripartite parliamentary meeting hosted by the Curaçao Parliament on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
Representatives of the three countries exchanged views on several proposed Kingdom laws and the procedures followed by the Netherlands when introducing legislation with consequences for the autonomous Caribbean countries.
Three Parliaments meeting in Curaçao
According to the Curaçao Parliament, the delegations reached concrete agreements concerning the issue. However, the parliamentary statement did not specify the content of those agreements.
The discussions highlight the continuing importance of consultation and parliamentary involvement in the legislative processes of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Although Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten are autonomous countries within the Kingdom, certain matters are regulated through Kingdom legislation, which can affect all four constituent countries.
The delegations also received an update from the Petit Comité Geschillenregeling, a smaller parliamentary committee working on the issue of dispute resolution within the Kingdom.
The proposed dispute settlement mechanism, known in Dutch as the Geschillenregeling, concerns how disagreements between the countries of the Kingdom should be addressed.
The meeting began with a review of agreements reached during the previous tripartite consultation, allowing the delegations to assess progress on matters already under discussion.
The tripartite format enables the three Caribbean parliaments to coordinate their positions on constitutional and legislative matters affecting their countries.
The next tripartite parliamentary meeting is scheduled for January 12, 2027, in Sint Maarten.