THE HAGUE – The Kingdom government has extended for another two years a cooperation arrangement originally introduced when Curaçao and Sint Maarten became autonomous countries in 2010, although the arrangement has had no practical significance for Curaçao since 2017.
The Royal Decree, signed on July 8, extends the “Samenwerkingsregeling waarborging plannen van aanpak landstaken Curaçao en Sint Maarten” for another two years, effective October 10, 2026.
The arrangement came into force when the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved on October 10, 2010. It established a system under which Curaçao or Sint Maarten would have to implement plans of approach if certain government responsibilities could not yet be adequately performed.
Although Curaçao remains named in the formal arrangement, the explanatory memorandum accompanying the latest extension makes clear that the situation on the island has long been resolved.
Curaçao’s Progress Committee concluded in February 2017 that all of the country’s plans of approach had been completed. The committee subsequently ended its activities on June 1, 2017.
“Since then, the cooperation arrangement no longer has any significance for Curaçao,” the Dutch government states.
The reason the arrangement is being extended again is Sint Maarten.
Sint Maarten originally had five plans of approach and has completed three. Plans concerning the prison system and police remain unfinished. The Dutch government says Hurricanes Irma and Maria severely damaged important parts of Sint Maarten’s justice system and disrupted progress.
Although Sint Maarten and the Netherlands have since taken steps to implement the remaining measures, the latest reports indicate that the two plans will not be completed before the current arrangement expires on October 10.
The arrangement has repeatedly been extended since 2010, with extensions approved in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024. The latest decision keeps it in force for another two years.
For Curaçao, however, the extension creates no new oversight obligations because its original plans were completed nearly a decade ago.