Randolph Duggins Takes a Seat at the Table

GREAT BAY--Randolf Duggins will be State Councillor of the Kingdom for St. Maarten. The Kingdom Council of Ministers approved his nomination on the proposal of Prime Minister Luc Mercelina of St. Maarten, in close consultation with the Council of State of the Kingdom. His appointment takes effect on 1 October 2025. He succeeds Maria van der Sluijs-Plantz, who held the position from October 2018 until April 1 of this year. The appointment places Duggins at the heart of the Advisory Division of the Council of State, the Kingdom’s highest advisory body on legislation, governance, and treaties.

Born on St. Eustatius, Duggins has built a career that spans nearly 25 years in both the public and private sectors. He is currently the Secretary-General of the Office of the Ombudsman of Sint Maarten, where his work has revolved around propriety, accountability, and ensuring that government treats citizens with fairness and respect. That grounding in citizens’ rights has shaped his outlook and will inform the way he approaches his new role in The Hague. Although he is stepping into an advisory function that operates at the level of laws and treaties, he insists the underlying principle remains the same: fairness, justice, and respect for the autonomy of Sint Maarten.

Duggins described his motivation as a deep commitment to advancing the interests of Sint Maarten within the Kingdom. He said he wants to ensure that laws and policies do not treat the island as an afterthought but reflect its unique context and needs. His first priorities are clear. He intends to establish strong working relationships with his colleagues in the Council of State, which includes about 17 councillors as well as over 600 staff. He also plans to deepen his understanding of Dutch politics, which he has followed from a distance but will now experience firsthand. He described the political landscape in the Netherlands as “increasingly unpredictable” and said that gaining that perspective is essential. Another priority will be to study the legislative agenda, both bills in the pipeline and those expected to come, so that he can step in with confidence.

While he acknowledges that it is too early to know exactly which files will dominate his tenure, Duggins pointed to a few areas already taking shape. One is the ongoing debate over independent dispute settlement within the Kingdom. Another is the decision to convert eight Kingdom regulations into Kingdom laws. These regulations were previously adopted without a strong legal basis, and by converting them into laws, the parliaments of all four countries, the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten, will have a say. For Duggins, this is an important moment because it changes the balance of consultation and ensures that Caribbean voices are formally part of the process.

His years at the Ombudsman’s office taught him the importance of accountability, and he said that experience will guide him even in this new arena. The Ombudsman’s work is rooted in responding to citizens, while the Council of State deals with the legality and implications of policy. Still, he sees a through line: “I will strive to advocate for laws that are fair, just, and uphold the rights and autonomy of Sint Maarten.”

Coordination with home will be crucial, and Duggins is clear about his approach. His predecessor returned to Sint Maarten several times a year for consultations with Parliament, ministries, and other stakeholders. He intends to do the same, establishing steady channels of communication to ensure that his advice in The Hague is informed by the island’s evolving needs and priorities.

On the question of working with colleagues from Aruba and Curaçao, he pushed back against the idea of a “Caribbean bloc.” The Advisory Division does not function as a parliament, he explained, and councillors do not represent their governments directly. Instead, each participates independently, on equal footing with Dutch councillors. While Caribbean interests may align at times, the value of the institution lies in impartial, well-grounded advice rather than bloc politics.

That does not mean the Caribbean perspective will be absent. Duggins has said he will emphasize the realities of small island states in Kingdom discussions, issues like climate vulnerability, resource limitations, and capacity constraints. He believes these realities must be integrated into laws, treaties, and policies to make them balanced and effective. To that end, he supports mandatory Caribbean impact assessments before Kingdom measures are finalized. Such assessments would ensure that the distinctive challenges of the islands are recognized before decisions are taken.

He is also aware of the need for transparency. Advisory opinions are often highly technical, written in legal language that can seem impenetrable to non-specialists. Duggins believes that clear communication is essential for democracy. He has pledged to encourage the use of plain language so that advice and opinions are understandable to businesses, civil society organizations, and the public.

Independence is another value he stresses. The Council of State provides continuity across governments, serving as a stabilizing force in times of political change. Duggins said he will safeguard his independence by adhering to the Council’s standards of integrity, impartiality, and transparency, and by grounding his advice in the rule of law.

Asked what success would look like by the end of his term, Duggins responded that it would mean raising the visibility and influence of Sint Maarten and the other former islands of the Netherlands Antilles in the broader Dutch political landscape. The islands are often perceived as having limited impact, and he wants to change that perception by promoting awareness of their realities and strengthening their voice in policy discussions.

When he takes his seat in The Hague on October 1, 2025, Duggins will begin a new chapter not only for his career but also for Sint Maarten’s place within the Kingdom. His path from the Ombudsman’s office to the Council of State illustrates his belief that fairness and accountability are not abstract ideals but practical principles that must guide governance. For Sint Maarten, his appointment represents an opportunity to have its perspectives heard in one of the Kingdom’s most influential bodies. For Duggins, it is a continuation of a mission he has carried throughout his career: to ensure that small islands are not overlooked and that their people are represented when the most consequential decisions are made.

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