BES good governance agenda submitted to Second Chamber

Caretaker Dutch State Secretary of Kingdom Rela­tions Eddie van Marum submit­ted the so-called Good Gover­nance Agenda for the Caribbean Netherlands to the Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament on Mon­day.

The agenda outlines measures to improve governance and the rule of law in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. Its three priorities are better services for citizens and companies, solid institutions that ensure clear legal frameworks and supervision, and tackling in­tegrity violations.

“With the Good Governance Agenda, I am working with the administrators of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba to give an im­portant boost to the further pro­motion of good governance,” Van Marum said. “We are building on the efforts made in the recent period. Residents must be able to count on the local government to respect and enforce the law. In this regard, I am of the opinion that it is important that residents are able to express their opinions and that the government is atten­tive to the interests and concerns of the people.”

Van Marum said the agenda has been developed together with the three island governments.

“On all three islands, work is be­ing carried out under the leader­ship of the Island Governors to develop an island-wide approach to strengthening governance. It is important that this is a concrete approach that is tailored to the local needs,” according to a press release issued on behalf of the Dutch Min­istry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations.

Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba are vulnerable when it comes to good governance, it was stated in the press re­lease. “For example, there is a lack of capacity, and institutions and supervisory bodies do not have a strong position. Unlike in the Eu­ropean Netherlands, there is also a lack of important legislation in the area of good governance and in­tegrity.”

Public services on all three islands are being digital­ised, with residents being given a citizen service num­ber BSN and access to the Dutch government’s online portal DigiD later this year. A General Administrative Act and Public Administra­tion Act is being drafted for the Caribbean Nether­lands, while the Dutch gov­ernment wants to strength­en the Courts of Audit.

“Citizenship education should stimulate the demo­cratic awareness and partic­ipation on the island. The professionalisation of polit­ical leaders and senior civil servants is also continued through the professional associations,” according to the press release.

The island governments and the Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Re­lations will also be imple­menting measures to tackle integrity violations.

“For example, rules for procurement and tender­ing are being made more stringent. It is also being examined how reporters of integrity violations, includ­ing whistleblowers, can be better protected. In addi­tion, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba are included in the Integrity and Security Monitor, which is conduct­ed every two years for the European Netherlands,” according to the press re­lease.

The Daily Herald.