Sarah Westcott-Williams, President of the Sint Maarten Parliament, is in Aruba with the Sint Maarten parliamentary delegation to participate in the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO). The representatives from the four countries in the Dutch Kingdom — Sint Maarten, Curaçao, Aruba, and the Netherlands — have come together this week for the session, which started today and will end on February 21.
In a recent interview in Aruba, Westcott-Williams emphasized that the delegation will have several days of intensive work. The IPKO sessions will begin today and will continue with a tripartite meeting involving Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. During these consultations, various important issues that affect all countries in the Kingdom will be discussed.
An important priority for Sint Maarten, she added, is to continue strengthening the relationship between the four countries, especially between the Caribbean Parliaments and the Dutch Parliament. “Although there is a Kingdom Council of Ministers, there is no Kingdom Parliament. Therefore, IPKO an essential platform for discussing issues of common interest,” she expressed.
Key topics for discussion include geopolitical developments affecting the Caribbean region, socio-economic challenges such as population aging, and ongoing discussions regarding the dispute settlement system (Schillenregeling). “The goal of these meetings is to exchange better practices and continue building a stronger, more collaborative Kingdom,” she emphasized.
