THE NETHERLANDS (THE HAGUE) - Cooperation between the Netherlands and the Caribbean countries of the Kingdom will be strengthened through an annual summit, King Willem-Alexander announced in the 2026 Speech from the Throne on Tuesday.
In the address marking the opening of the 2026–2027 parliamentary year, the King explicitly named Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Aruba, alongside the Caribbean Netherlands—Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba.
The announcement forms part of the Dutch government’s wider plans to intensify cooperation within the Kingdom on economic, social and environmental issues.
“Not least, the government is joining forces with the countries of Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Aruba, and with the Caribbean Netherlands,” the King said.
He also referred to the 250th anniversary of the historic salute fired from Sint Eustatius, an event through which the Netherlands became the first country to recognize the United States. The anniversary will be commemorated in November.
According to the King, the event highlights the historical ties linking the countries and islands of the Kingdom.
“This underlines the historical interconnectedness within the Kingdom and our shared connection with the world,” he said.
The King further announced that a summit of the four countries of the Kingdom—the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten—will take place this autumn. The summit will address progress and opportunities in areas of cooperation including the economy, subsistence security, climate and waste management.
“From now on, this summit will become an annual tradition,” he said.
He concluded the passage with the Papiamentu expression: “Nos ta un reino” — “We are one Kingdom.”
A political and symbolic message
The reference to the Caribbean countries was one of the clearest Kingdom-related passages in the 2026 address. It went beyond a general reference to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom by naming Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten individually.
The announcement also gives a formal structure to what has traditionally been a complex relationship between the four countries. While Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten are autonomous countries within the Kingdom, the Netherlands remains constitutionally responsible for the Kingdom-wide areas set out in the Charter, including foreign relations, defence and the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.
The planned summit is intended to provide a regular forum for the four governments to discuss shared challenges and opportunities. Its agenda, as outlined in the speech, includes both practical concerns—such as the cost of living, economic development and waste management—and longer-term issues such as climate resilience and sustainable cooperation.
For Sint Maarten, the announcement comes as the country continues to work with the Netherlands on reforms under its Country Package, including public finance, good governance and the strengthening of the rule of law. Curaçao and Aruba are engaged in similar reform programmes, although each country’s arrangements reflect its own circumstances and priorities.
Caribbean Netherlands included
The King’s reference also included Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, which are public entities of the Netherlands rather than autonomous countries within the Kingdom.
The 2027 Dutch budget proposals include a €30 million package for the three islands aimed at improving subsistence security and reducing the high cost of living. The proposed investments include energy, drinking water, telecommunications and childcare support.
The budget also provides for a €12 million investment in sustainable energy on Saba and Sint Eustatius, €8 million to replace Bonaire’s seawater intake for drinking-water production, €1.7 million for leaking water pipelines on Sint Eustatius and €2.1 million to modernize the island’s fibre-optic network.
The combination of the King’s speech and the budget proposals signals an effort by the Dutch government to give Kingdom relations greater political visibility while also attaching concrete policy priorities to the relationship.
“One Kingdom”
The phrase nos ta un reino—“we are one Kingdom”—provided the central message of the King’s passage on the Caribbean.
For the islands, however, the practical significance of the planned annual summit will depend on how the new tradition is organized, which issues are placed on the agenda and whether the four governments are able to reach agreements that produce measurable results.
The first summit, scheduled for this autumn, is expected to provide an early indication of how the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten intend to shape this renewed approach to cooperation.
Source: 2026 Speech from the Throne, Government of the Netherlands.
