The Second Chamber Election will take place on Wednesday, 29 October 2025. For the first time, a voting guide is available that specifically focuses on the Caribbean Netherlands. The Election Compass Caribbean Netherlands consists of 25 general statements, supplemented by 5 statements specifically related to Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. …
Read More »Building Saba’s Future: Female Engineers Lead Major Infrastructure Projects
The site DossierKoninkrijksrelaties has a new columnist from Saba: freelance journalist Hazel Durand. Enjoy her first contribution to the site. Building Saba’s Future: Female Engineers Lead Major Infrastructure Projects At just five square miles, Saba may be small, but the island’s ambitions are anything but. Despite its limited footprint, this …
Read More »Opinion: “Your Legal Order Is Not Mine — and Fifteen Years On, It Still Isn’t”
By National Ombudsman, Reinier van Zutphen Since 17 November 2017, based on Article 133(4) of the Constitution (Gw), rules can be laid down for the public entities in the Caribbean part of the Netherlands, and other specific measures can be taken in view of special circumstances that distinguish these public …
Read More »On July 1st, 2026, Saba’s new Governor will be inaugurated
On July 1st, 2026, Saba’s new governor will be inaugurated. At the upcoming Island Council meeting on October 16th, 2025, the public will be informed of the forthcoming Governor Selection Process. To read more about the process, please visit the website of the Public Entity Saba at https://www.sabagov.nl/…/new-governor-selection-process PES
Read More »The Dutch Caribbean 15 years after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles
October 10, 2025, marks fifteen years since the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles as an administrative entity. Following this transition, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) was tasked with compiling statistics for Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius, while Curaçao and St. Maarten each established their own statistical offices. To commemorate this milestone, CBS …
Read More »Black Rocks Harbor Project Marks One Year of Progress Toward 2026 Completion
On October 8, 2024, the Public Entity Saba officially signed the construction contract for the Black Rocks Harbor Project with Ballast Nedam International Projects. This week marks the one-year anniversary of the signing. Since that milestone, the project has seen major progress with the targeted completion date for the harbor …
Read More »Saba’s island-wide blackout caused by ‘unprecedented lightning storms’
Saba experienced an island-wide blackout in the early morning hours of Wednesday after what Saba Electric Company (SEC) described as “unprecedented lightning storms throughout the night”. At least one bolt touched down in a residential area during the overnight hours, which was captured on a social media video that was …
Read More »Decree on Financial and Quality Rules in Childcare
The Childcare Decree BES accompanying the Law Childcare BES was published on October 8th. It specifies the rules that apply from January 1, 2026, to the quality, data exchange, and financing of childcare on Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. The new legislation and regulations aim to provide good, safe, and …
Read More »Leave regulations expanded as of 1 January 2026
As of 1 January 2026, the leave regulations in the Caribbean Netherlands will be expanded to include emergency leave and short-term care leave. This means that employees will gain new rights, while employers will face new obligations and practical changes. Emergency Leave Emergency leave can be requested when you need …
Read More »Good governance, food security and nature conservation to be the focus of State Secretary Van Marum’s first visit
The State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Eddie van Marum, is going to visit the Caribbean part of the Kingdom from 13 to 18 October. The main aim of the visit is for him to introduce himself to the Executive and Island Councils of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and …
Read More »