PHILIPSBURG--The Parliament of St Maarten will be focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the new parliamentary year and has adopted as its theme "Building digital trust: exploring a national AI strategy and further development of an Open Parliament."
President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams announced the theme during the closing of the 2024-2025 parliamentary year on Monday.
She will also be proposing a National AI Team St. Maarten. Each proposal reflects forward thinking in unison, the opposite of fragmented governance Wescot-Williams told the legislature.
According to Wescot-Williams, Parliament will focus on creating awareness about the emerging technological frontier of AI and its impact on St Maarten. “With the rapid rise of social media and AI technologies, parliaments around the world are being challenged to adapt. Institutions that uphold democracy and the parliamentary process must now explore how they can leverage these emerging tools and innovations not only to make information more accessible to the public but also to strengthen, secure, and future-proof their democratic systems. This can encompass a wide range of improvements, including, but not limited to greater public involvement, stronger (cyber)security measures, and enhanced parliamentary systems to improve efficiency,” she explained.
Wescot-Williams said the exploration of AI will allow St. Maarten to plan for equitable and sustainable integration. “Hence the theme for this year’s opening is: ‘Building digital trust: exploring a national AI strategy and further development of an Open Parliament,’” she added.
Parliament will hold a Central Committee meeting on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 10:00am, for a presentation by “a St Maarten expert” on the theme, as members delve further into AI and its applications for governance.
In addition, Wescot-Williams announced that the 13th Annual President of Parliament Award will be presented to a young person who exemplifies positive contributions to the community, as well as to several persons and organisations who advocate for digitalisation and artificial intelligence. “This young person was selected by a committee based on criteria that was set by this Parliament. Furthermore, several persons and organisations in the community who contribute and advocate for digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in one way or the other will be acknowledged as well based on our theme for the New Parliamentary Year,” she said.
The Annual Report 2024-2025 of Parliament is scheduled for release on September 30, 2025. “This report gives an overview of the work done by Parliament during the past Parliamentary Year. The report will be provided to Members of Parliament in digital form (USB) only. It will also be available for the Members and staff on the Parliament General Team. The report will also be available on our website,” Wescot-Williams noted.
The President urged members to focus on the future. “Colleagues, the people of Sint Maarten deserve more than reflections of the past. They deserve direction for the future. They deserve a Parliament that leads transformation, and a government that acts as One. This is the meaning of Semper Pro Grediens. Learning from our past, acting in the present, and moving forward – together. Let us begin the 2025-2026 Parliamentary Year with hope, determination, and a clear sense of purpose. My colleague Members of Parliament, support staff, ladies and gentlemen.”
