St. Maarten Parliamentary delegation to attend rescheduled IPKO in The Hague

GREAT BAY--A delegation of Members of Parliament will travel to The Hague next week to participate in the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO). Representing Sint Maarten are Chairlady of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams, along with MPs Veronica Jansen-Webster, Franklin Meyers, Omar Ottley, Egbert Doran, Lyndon Lewis, Viren Kotai, and Raeyhon Peterson, who will join their counterparts from Aruba, Curaçao, and the Netherlands. The delegation is comprised of the faction leaders of all parties represented in Parliament.

This IPKO session was originally scheduled for June 2025 but was postponed due to overlapping events of international importance. At that time, The Hague hosted a NATO summit attended by heads of state from around the world. Additionally, the Dutch government collapsed and new parliamentary elections were announced for October 29, making it necessary to reschedule. It has since been confirmed that the IPKO will go ahead this month, with the participation of delegations from all four countries of the Kingdom.

The IPKO is one of the Kingdom’s most important parliamentary forums, providing a structured platform for dialogue on shared concerns. It helps address the long-standing “democratic deficit” by giving Caribbean and European counterparts the opportunity to engage directly on matters of governance and cooperation. The meetings also result in jointly signed agreements, ensuring accountability among the countries involved.

Beyond accountability, IPKO enables improved coordination on Kingdom-wide challenges that affect all nations, including climate resilience, migration, human rights, and economic disparities. It allows parliamentarians to compare approaches, propose aligned standards, and strengthen legislative responses. At the same time, IPKO fosters stronger personal and institutional relationships between lawmakers, creating trust and cooperation that extend beyond the meeting room.

For Sint Maarten and the wider Caribbean, IPKO is also an essential platform for visibility and voice. It ensures that local issues, from economic development to social protections, are highlighted within the broader Kingdom framework. By engaging in these discussions, the Sint Maarten Parliament continues to assert its role in shaping decisions that affect the daily lives of its people and the future stability of the Kingdom as a whole.

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