GREAT BAY--Chairlady of Parliament MP Sarah Wescot-Williams has expressed disappointment that the long-awaited Kingdom Conference, expected to be hosted by St. Maarten in November 2026, is now being referred to as a Kingdom Summit, raising concerns that the gathering is being reduced in significance and may no longer address fundamental questions surrounding the future of the Dutch Kingdom. At her proposal, the matter has been added to St. Maarten's agenda for the upcoming Tripartite parliamentary meeting between Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten, scheduled for October 15, 2026, in Curaçao.
Wescot-Williams raised the issue during a parliamentary committee meeting held to finalize St. Maarten's preparations and proposed discussion points for the Tripartite meeting. She questioned why an initiative that had been discussed for several years as a Kingdom Conference now appears to have taken on a different format and purpose.
According to the Chairlady, the original concept of a Kingdom Conference was established following the constitutional changes of October 10, 2010, when St. Maarten and Curaçao attained country status within the Kingdom. The intention was for the governments of the constituent countries to meet regularly to examine their relationships, consider the future of the Kingdom and address matters of constitutional importance.
She recalled that the conferences were initially intended to take place annually, but only two have been held since 2010. Over the years, discussions about reviving the Kingdom Conference have taken place, including initiatives and motions in the Dutch Second Chamber calling for such a gathering.
Wescot-Williams said she found it particularly disappointing that, after so many years without a Kingdom Conference, the gathering that St. Maarten offered to host now appears to have been transformed into a more administrative meeting among the governments.
She explained that a Kingdom Conference carries greater constitutional and political significance than what is commonly referred to as abestuurlijk overleg, or administrative consultation between governments.
Her concern is that reducing the gathering to a summit could result in important subjects, including the future of the Kingdom and the constitutional relationships among its countries, no longer receiving the level of attention originally envisioned.
While acknowledging that the Prime Minister of St. Maarten had previously indicated to Parliament that suggestions for discussion topics would be welcomed, Wescot-Williams questioned whether the planned gathering would retain the broader objectives associated with a Kingdom Conference.
The Chairlady also emphasized that the role of the parliaments must not be overlooked. She recalled that parliamentary involvement had been raised previously, given that a Kingdom Conference is primarily a gathering of governments, while the matters under consideration can have far-reaching consequences for the countries and their populations.
Other Members of Parliament supported placing the matter on the Tripartite agenda.
MP Lewis questioned what role parliamentarians would play in the planned summit and stressed the importance of knowing where their respective governments stand on Kingdom matters before engaging in discussions with parliamentary counterparts.
Members also recalled earlier discussions during the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO), where parliamentary involvement in the development of a Kingdom Conference had been raised.
Wescot-Williams agreed that the parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten should have an opportunity to exchange views on the proposed gathering, establish their expectations and determine what recommendations could be communicated to their respective governments.
With no objections raised, the committee agreed to include the Kingdom Conference and Summit issue among the matters St. Maarten will bring forward during the October 15 Tripartite meeting.
During the meeting, Chairlady of the Committee for Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations (CKAIR), MP Sjamira Roseburg, provided an explanation of the preparations, proposed agenda points and arrangements for the upcoming Tripartite meeting in Curaçao.
Roseburg explained that the Tripartite meetings form part of an agreement among the parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten to convene four such meetings annually, providing a platform for parliamentary cooperation and discussions on matters of common interest within the Kingdom.
She outlined that preparations for the upcoming session began during a closed-door committee meeting on September 11, 2026, when members discussed St. Maarten's participation and possible agenda topics. The draft report of the previous Tripartite meeting, held on June 4, 2026, in The Hague, was subsequently circulated to committee members on September 21, with a deadline of September 23 for submitting responses and proposed discussion points.
Roseburg also informed members that the committee had received the draft program from host country Curaçao, which outlined several matters for discussion among the three parliamentary delegations.
Apart from the Kingdom Summit issue subsequently added at Wescot-Williams' request, the October 15 discussions are expected to address follow-up matters from previous Tripartite meetings, developments concerning Kingdom legislation, the Kingdom dispute settlement arrangement, and the status of the extension of the country reform packages.
Among the legislative matters identified for discussion are proposals concerning amendments to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, including legislation that would allow Curaçao and St. Maarten, like Aruba, to independently pursue termination of the constitutional order established under the Charter. Another proposal concerns the legal basis for general administrative measures within the Kingdom under Article 38, paragraph two, of the Charter.
The draft agenda circulated by Curaçao also includes the history of slavery and feedback from thePetit Comitédealing with the Kingdom dispute settlement arrangement.
The upcoming meeting will provide an opportunity for the three Caribbean parliaments to exchange positions on these matters, including the concerns raised by Wescot-Williams about the purpose, status and parliamentary involvement in the November Kingdom gathering.
St. Maarten is also scheduled to host the next Tripartite parliamentary meetings from January 12 to 15, 2027.
