A Dutch parliamentary committee has asked the government for an urgent response and a concrete proposal to improve consultation with Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten when Kingdom decisions directly affect the Caribbean countries.
The request from the Dutch House of Representatives’ Committee for Kingdom Relations marks a new step in a dispute that began after the Kingdom abstained on a United Nations resolution related to the transatlantic slave trade and slavery without first consulting the three islands.
Committee seeks a clearer consultation process
According to NoticiaCla, the committee asked the state secretary for Kingdom Relations to explain how the Dutch cabinet will ensure that Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten are consulted before future Kingdom positions are set on issues that directly concern them.
The committee’s published agenda also records its request for a cabinet response to the joint resolution adopted by the three Caribbean countries. The new action shifts the matter from the islands’ June protest to a formal request within the Dutch parliament.
Dispute followed a United Nations vote
Parliamentary delegations from Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten adopted a joint resolution in The Hague on June 4 after objecting to the lack of prior consultation over the Kingdom’s position at the United Nations.
The three countries argued that the issue was especially significant because of their direct history with slavery. ArubaNews previously covered those June parliamentary meetings; the Dutch committee’s request is a substantive follow-up because it calls for a government response and a structural solution.
Government response is the next step
The Dutch cabinet must now outline whether it will change the consultation procedure and how the Caribbean countries will be involved before future international positions are adopted on their behalf.
Sources: NoticiaCla’s report on the committee request and the Dutch House Committee for Kingdom Relations.
