These are your approved committees of Parliament, MP Christopher Wever is New First VP of Parliament

GREAT BAY--As is customary at the opening of a new Parliamentary year, The Parliament of St. Maarten has ratified the composition of its permanent and ad hoc committees for the 2025–2026 Parliamentary year.

During a Central Committee held on Monday, Members of Parliament agreed on the proposed composition of 17 committees. The proposal then moved on to a public meeting of Parliament, also on Monday, for formal ratification, in line with parliamentary procedure.

Additionally, by letter dated September 8th of 2025, the 1st Vice Chairperson MP Sjamira Roseburg formally notified Parliament that effective September the 9th 2025, she would no longer serve in that capacity. As such, in accordance with the Rules of Order of Parliament, MP Christopher Wever was voted in by MPs as the new First Vice President of Parliament.

MP Roseburg said: "As Vice Chair of Parliament, I am today handing over my position in the Presidium to my successor, Mr. Christopher Wever. As the youngest female Member of Parliament and a newcomer to the political arena, this past year has been an intensely valuable learning experience. Thanks to the guidance of our Chair, Mrs. Sarah Westcott-Williams a true veteran in the field and the support and collaboration of my colleague in the Presidium, Mrs. Ludmilla de Weever, and the griffier (Secretary General) Mr. Richardson I have been able to learn and grow significantly."

"It has been an honor to be part of the first all-female Presidium in our parliamentary history. Together with my colleagues, I have had the privilege of writing a historic chapter that reflects the power of diversity and collaboration. My gratitude goes out to my colleagues in Parliament for the trust they placed in me by almost unanimously appointing me as Vice Chair. This support has strengthened me in my development and commitment.

"With the knowledge and experience I have gained, I will continue to serve as a representative of the people and in my role as Faction Leader of the URSM. In that capacity, I look forward to working with my colleagues both nationally and internationally to strengthen the position of Sint Maarten. I look forward to continuing our joint efforts toward a strong future for our country guided by faith, gratitude, and hope.," she concluded.

At the beginning of each parliamentary year, and following any resignations or the dissolution of Parliament, the President of Parliament assigns members to the permanent committees and to the Committee for Petitions, which is specifically mentioned in the Constitution, unless Parliament decides otherwise.

The committees are composed of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), and nearly all MPs serve on multiple committees. This ensures that a wide range of perspectives is included across areas of governance while also spreading the workload.

The largest committees are the Committee of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure, the Committee of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs, and the Ad Hoc Committee Electoral Reform, each with 13 members. The smallest is the Committee Country’s Expenditure, with 6 members.

A review of the composition shows that all MPs sit on multiple committees, reflecting the need for shared responsibility across different policy areas. Some MPs are represented on almost every committee.

No single MP sits on all 17 committees, but a core group of MPs; notably Viren Kotai, Lyndon Lewis, Francisco Lacroes, Sarah Wescot-Williams, and Christopher Wever, serve on almost every committee, appearing in both permanent and ad hoc bodies.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝟏𝟒 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟑 𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐬:

• Committee of General Affairs

• Committee of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure

• Committee of Justice

• Committee of Finance

• Committee of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication

• Committee of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs

• Committee of Public Health, Social Development and Labor

• Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations

• Committee for Petitions

• Committee Country’s Expenditure

• Committee of Parlatino Matters

• Committee for District Councils

• Committee for Constitutional Affairs and Decolonization

• Committee for Agriculture, Fisheries & Animal Husbandry

• Ad Hoc Committee for the Preparation of the Construction of a New Building for Parliament

• Ad Hoc Committee Integrity

• Ad Hoc Committee Electoral Reform

“The difference with the ad hoc committees is that these committees are established with a specific purpose or objective in mind. They are created to accomplish a defined task. For example, the Ad Hoc Committee on Integrity has as one of its most important responsibilities the development of a Code of Conduct for Parliament. The Ad Hoc Committee on Electoral Reform was set up to address issues highlighted by Parliament that require reform in the electoral process. Similarly, the Ad Hoc Committee on the New Parliament Building is tasked with guiding the work related to a new Parliament building for St. Maarten," Chairlday Wescot-Williams said.

In addition: she added: "As you know, our parliamentary committees have traditionally mirrored ministerial portfolios. However, Parliament has also discussed the possibility of moving towards more topical committees, created to focus on themes identified as priorities by Parliament itself. That is something we hope to see further developed in this parliamentary year. One such example that has already been discussed is the establishment of a Committee on Climate Change and Energy, which we expect to bring forward in due course."

In addition, the Central Committee has proposed that when Members of Parliament travel for work visits, the existing rules and regulations as laid out in the ‘Guidelines for Travel of Members of Parliament,’ adopted in 2015, must be observed. This includes, for example, participation in national celebrations on the other islands of the Dutch Kingdom. For these occasions, a maximum of four MPs will travel, selected based on a rotation schedule.

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