WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao is working behind the scenes on new proposals for the long-debated Kingdom dispute regulation, as Parliament members seek to define the island’s position ahead of new negotiations with Aruba, Sint Maarten, and the Netherlands.
That is according to a request submitted by Members of Parliament Ramón Yung, Quincy Girigorie, and David Seferina to Parliament chairman Fergino Brownbill, asking for a meeting of Parliament’s Central Committee to be convened.
According to the letter, representatives of the four countries within the Kingdom agreed during the Tripartite consultations held in September 2025 to establish a special working group, known as a petite comité, consisting of representatives from the three Caribbean countries within the Kingdom.
For Curaçao, MPs Ramón Yung and Quincy Girigorie are participating in the working group.
The committee reportedly met in Aruba in March to discuss the contents of a draft proposal for a new dispute regulation framework. A further discussion of the proposals is expected during another Tripartite consultation scheduled for June.
Before those talks take place, the Curaçao parliamentarians want Parliament to first be updated on the progress of the negotiations, the proposed changes, and the position Curaçao intends to take during the discussions.
According to the letter, Parliament should have the opportunity to determine its position before further negotiations within the Kingdom continue.
The Kingdom dispute regulation has been a politically sensitive issue for years. Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten have long advocated for an independent mechanism to settle disputes with the Netherlands.
The Caribbean countries argue that the current system creates an unequal balance of power because the Netherlands ultimately retains a dominant role in resolving Kingdom-related conflicts.