THE HAGUE – Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten and the Netherlands continue to have different standards for protecting personal data, despite ongoing efforts to harmonize privacy legislation throughout the Kingdom.
The issue was again discussed during the latest Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO), according to a letter from Dutch State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Eric van der Burg to the Dutch Parliament.
Each of the four parliamentary delegations prepared a paper outlining the current state of personal data protection in their respective country.
According to Van der Burg, the documents provide useful insight into the situation but also confirm that significant differences remain between the four countries.
Efforts are currently underway to harmonize basic personal data protection throughout the Kingdom.
The issue has become increasingly important as governments, financial institutions and businesses rely more heavily on digital services and exchange growing amounts of personal information.
The IPKO delegations intend to take the matter further by preparing a jointly supported letter containing questions for the Kingdom government.
For the Netherlands, responsibility for coordinating the ongoing consensus Kingdom Act process concerning harmonization of personal data protection lies with the Ministry of Justice and Security.
Van der Burg therefore asked the Dutch IPKO delegation to direct its questions on the matter to the Dutch Minister of Justice and Security.
The parliamentary delegations from Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten can address their respective justice ministries regarding the process.
The broader objective is to establish a more consistent level of basic privacy protection throughout the Kingdom while recognizing that each of its four countries has its own government and legal system.
The subject is part of a wider discussion about improving cooperation within the Kingdom. Van der Burg described effective cooperation between the four countries as being of “inestimable value.”