Today, March 9th, is the day of fire brigade history. The Caribbean Netherlands Fire Department (BKCN) also has a rich history. Former Local Commander (Bonaire) Reynold Janga and Local Commander (Saba) Julio Every can tell all about it. ‘We used to not even have firefighting suits. We did everything in …

In October 2023, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) published the climate scenarios for the Netherlands in relation to climate change. Climate change refers to the long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. While such shifts can be natural, caused by the sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions, since the …

To determine child support, a new calculation model is being used since 2022 on the basis of which the Guardianship Council Caribbean Netherlands advises the court. This calculation model is updated every year. This year, changes to the minimum wage, child benefit and living costs have had an impact on …

Lady M.A.U. (Alida) Francis will become the Island Governor of St. Eustatius. State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen of Kingdom Relations and Digitalization nominated her for appointment in the Council of Ministers. Alida Francis (58) was born on St. Eustatius and has been Government Commissioner of St. Eustatius since February 2021 …

The Saba Tourist Bu­reau team recently partici­pated in the destination hub at the 44th Heineken Regat­ta held in St. Maarten from February 29 to March 3. The bureau’s booth showcased the island of Saba, providing attendees with destination information. Visitors had the opportuni­ty to learn about yacht entry procedures, accommodation …

Last year the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) officially launched the project “Monitoring for Bird Biodiversity Conservation in the Dutch Caribbean.” This initiative, supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality (LNV), aims to equip local nature management organizations on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. …

Commissioner Evi­ton Heyliger and Policy Advisor Courtney Hassell recently travelled to Brus­sels to attend the twentieth Overseas Countries and Territories-European Union (OCTs-EU) Forum, which took place February 26-29. The forum takes place an­nually and is the highest-lev­el instance of dialogue that brings together representa­tives of the OCTs, member states and …

TheEuropean Union (EU) must do more to contribute to the devel­opment of overseas coun­tries and territories (OCTs), particularly in terms of sus­tainability and innovation. Caretaker State Secretary of Kingdom Relations Alex­andra van Huffelen empha­sised this in her speech at the annual high-level meeting of the Forum for Overseas Countries and …

Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba will have permanent representation in The Hague and will be involved earlier in making policy and legislation. The principle of ‘comply or explain’ remains the starting point for policy and there will be different levels of financial supervision for the islands. This will enable customisation …

The Saba Reach Foundation is evolving as it strives to develop itself into an organization modeled after similar European Nederlands ‘social work organizations.’ In the past, Saba has had an insufficient offering for citizens who have a distance to the labor market. As a result of this insufficiency, The Saba …