THE HAGUE--Economic development, cooperation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, poverty reduction and climate challenges will be among the central issues when InterExpo Caribbean N.V. hosts its 37th congress from December 8 to 10, 2026, in The Hague.
The three-day congress, titled “Growth, Innovation, and Prosperity in the Dutch Caribbean through Strategic Investments,” will be held at Nieuwspoort in the building of the Dutch House of Representatives. While InterExpo congresses have traditionally focused strongly on political and Kingdom relations issues, the 37th edition will place additional emphasis on the economic challenges facing the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.
At the center of the discussions will be how political decision-making within the Kingdom can help increase prosperity, combat poverty, strengthen economic security and create conditions in which local populations can participate more directly in economic growth. InterExpo has identified issues including economic dependence on tourism, investment, financing, education, labor market challenges, fiscal policy and the economic reputation of the islands as areas for discussion.
The congress will also examine the often complex relationship between the Caribbean countries and islands and the Netherlands. InterExpo describes that relationship as close, but not always straightforward, particularly where the desire for greater local self-determination intersects with Dutch concerns over financial and economic oversight. These questions have featured prominently in previous InterExpo gatherings and are expected to remain part of the wider discussion in December.
According to information provided for the congress, panel discussions will be held on each of the three days. The December 8 discussion will focus on “Improvement through Cooperation.” On December 9, attention will turn to “Necessary Measures for Economic Strengthening of the Dutch Caribbean Islands and Suriname.” The December 10 closing discussions will address themes related to climate.
Suriname will also return as a participant in an InterExpo congress after an absence of several years. InterExpo says economic and trade links between Suriname and the Caribbean islands within the Kingdom have grown in recent years, creating new opportunities to examine regional trade, investment and cooperation. The organization expects several Surinamese entrepreneurs to participate in presentations during the congress.
A longstanding regional platform
InterExpo Caribbean has organized congresses and trade missions connecting the Netherlands, the Dutch Caribbean, Suriname and the wider Caribbean for decades. Its gatherings have brought together political representatives, business leaders, academics, financial-sector representatives and other stakeholders to discuss political, social and economic issues affecting the Kingdom and the region. InterExpo marked 25 years of organizing such activities in 2017, while its more recent congresses have addressed subjects including equality within the Kingdom, shared responsibility and mutual trust, the 70th anniversary of the Charter for the Kingdom, and 15 years since the constitutional changes of October 10, 2010.
InterExpo describes its congress format as one that deliberately brings differing perspectives into the same room. Its 2026 congress is expected to include political officials, academics and entrepreneurs from across the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom and the Netherlands, allowing participants to debate both criticism of the existing Kingdom structure and arguments in favor of the opportunities and shared interests it provides.
Organizers expect approximately 40 speakers and 200 guests at the 37th congress. The gathering is also intended to provide opportunities for parliamentarians and other representatives from different parts of the Kingdom to meet, exchange views and discuss policy challenges affecting their respective countries and islands. Professor Dr. Peter Diekman RA will serve as chair of the congress.
The expanded economic focus comes as Caribbean economies continue to confront questions surrounding economic diversification, investment, the cost of living, education and labor-market development. For InterExpo, the December gathering will seek to connect those economic questions with the political decisions and forms of cooperation that influence development across the Kingdom.
