A delegation is attending (see Wednesday newspaper) the Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultation IPKO between Curaçao, Aruba, St. Maarten and the Netherlands, also on behalf of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (so-called BES islands). Topics include financial relations within the Dutch Kingdom and the autonomy of the Caribbean countries, as well as regional security developments.
The latter will be discussed in a closed-door technical briefing. The expected content appears to be of a geopolitically and militarily sensitive nature.
Not on the agenda is a proposed regulation for disputes among the four countries. Elsewhere in this edition, Curaçao again called for an independent and binding mechanism.
Its Parliament argued that the current situation, in which the Kingdom Council of Ministers RMR in The Hague may ultimately act as both party and arbiter in such cases, undermines legal certainty and mutual trust. They support the Council of State’s recommendation to designate an independent body that can issue binding rulings on legal conflicts concerning supervision and interpretation of the Kingdom Charter, as a constitutional safeguard.
Up to now, Dutch Cabinets that dominate the RMR have been reluctant to give any other entity the last word. Considering the size difference between the European Netherlands and the islands, that is not likely to change anytime soon.
At these gatherings, it is best to focus on practical cooperation instead of potentially divisive issues that often don’t get resolved in the end. One example could be the lack of legislative capacity in Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten for elected representatives to make laws of their own. Dutch Members of Parliament (Mps) obviously have much more relevant resources and could perhaps offer online expertise to assist their colleagues across the Atlantic Ocean.
It’s just a thought, of course, but there are plenty of long-term benefits to gain from such encounters by paying attention to what can unite rather than separate participants.
