11th Meeting of the BES Summit Held on Bonaire

The 11th meeting of the BES Summit was held on September 4th 2026, at the Corallium Conference Room in Bonaire. The summit brought together the island councils of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba to discuss matters of shared importance and to strengthen cooperation among the three public entities.

Sint Eustatius currently chairs the BES Summit and will continue to do so until June 2027.

One of the agenda items that was discussed during the summit was the results of a new study by the University of Curaçao on the choice between the current OCT status (LGO) and a possible status as an outermost region, UPG. The report was commissioned by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and the researchers were tasks with an analysis of the pros and cons of a OCT or UPG status for the islands of the Caribbean Netherlands. As a focus of this study 4 of the 6 islands were included mainly Aruba, Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius. In a reaction to the findings of this study, the public entities had an exploratory session where each island took note of this research and the findings and exchanged their initial views on the matter.

The island councils reaffirmed that, before considering a position relating to a possible change in status, they will explore relevant and objective expert information. Information is needed to provide the councils and communities with a clear understanding of the potential advantages, disadvantages, opportunities, and implications of a possible transition.

The councils agreed that citizen participation must be a priority in any decision concerning the future status of the islands including whether the manner of association to the European union should be revised.

Further due diligence will be pursued by each island as they commit to return to the discussion as soon as possible.

During the summit concerns were also raised for a current topic that is being discussed in the second chamber. This relates to the 30 million allocated by the ministries to address the high cost of living on the BES islands.

During the discussion, concerns were raised regarding the distribution and allocation of these funds that were allocated through the coalition agreement of the current government. The main purpose of these funds, which according to the coalition agreement is meant to lower the cost of living on the islands, is being distributed and allocated in a manner that merely keeps the cost of living afloat as opposed to lowering it. The councils agreed to prepare a joint letter outlining their concerns and seeking further clarification regarding the allocation of the 30 million and to direct this to the house of representatives.

In a continuous effort to provide structural, efficient and sustainable mechanisms of cooperation, the summit also discussed the importance of documenting the developments, achievements, and ongoing goals of the BES Summit. In preparation for upcoming elections and possible new councilmembers, the importance of transition and transfer documents was emphasized.

The proposed transfer document would serve as a guide for incoming island councils, providing them with an understanding of the purpose of the BES Summit, its history, the issues addressed, and the work that remains ongoing. The summit also raised the importance of establishing an overview that captures the developments of the BES Summit to date and identifies which goals and action points have already been accomplished.

The importance was also raised that the eventual transfer document should include the history and reasons behind the establishment of the BES Summit, ensuring that future councils understand its origins, purpose, and continued importance.

As a continuation of the previous BES Summit, a dedicated section was included for the petit committees, which were specifically tasks with priority issues and action points of shared importance to the islands.

During the meeting, the petit committees on healthcare, education, and the establishment of a BES Representative provided updates on their progress and made agreements on the way forward.

Education

The petite committee on education explored the joint principles that the education system on the islands need to be guided by. To this end a proposal was presented for a joint motion on education, aimed at encouraging and strengthening cooperation between the islands and establishing stronger on island organizational capacity with the intention to address the challenges facing each island’s education system.

The proposed motion will be reviewed by the respective island councils, with the intention of having it formally ratified on each island and work towards structural improvement.

BES Representative

The petite committee working on the establishment of a BES Representative provided an update on the steps being taken to secure financing for the position.

The committee also discussed a proposed profile and detailed description of the position. Agreements were made regarding further actions and a timeframe, with specific follow-up points assigned to each island.

Healthcare

The healthcare petite committee is working toward establishing a more structured and documented approach to gathering information directly from the communities. The goal is to better identify and highlight challenges and experiences within the healthcare system. To this end the committee is reviewing a collective data gathering process that will be launched across all three islands. The results of this process will give strategic data markers to be presented to the policy makers and law makers that better suit the needs of the people of the island.

The next BES Summit will take place in December

The island councils remain committed to continued cooperation, open dialogue, and joint action on matters that directly affect the communities of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba and look back on a successful summit.

PES.