Wescot-Williams: IPKO “constructive and clear”, summarizes key points

THE HAGUE--At the closing press conference of the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO), President of Parliament and leader of the St. Maarten delegation, MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, reflected on the four-day session in the Netherlands, expressing gratitude to the Dutch First and Second Chambers and their staff for their hospitality and support in organizing the meetings.

Wescot-Williams described the September IPKO as “constructive and clear,” noting that delegations went beyond general discussions to concretely identify and name issues facing the Kingdom. She stressed that the agreements made during this IPKO, the afsprakenlijst, are not simply symbolic, but reflect pressing issues across all four countries.

Key Issues Discussed

Education and Student Success: Wescot-Williams highlighted that the afsprakenlijst makes several references to education, a subject on IPKO’s agenda for years. “It is about much more than access to study opportunities. It is about whether our students succeed, whether they can return home after studying, and whether they are recognized as Dutch citizens with equal treatment. Our students are not foreigners,” she emphasized.

Ageing Populations: With ageing societies across the Kingdom, Wescot-Williams underlined the need to learn from the demographic monitoring and systems already in place in the Netherlands. She called for applying this knowledge to the islands, where resources are limited, but the impacts of ageing are no less significant.

Geopolitical Developments: The Chairlady noted that global and regional developments affect the entire Kingdom, but that their consequences are often magnified for the small island states in the Caribbean. “The geopolitical issue must have our constant attention. Parliaments must be kept informed, and informed in a timely manner, about developments that could impact the Kingdom’s security, economy, and communities,” she said.

Dispute Regulation (Geschillenregeling): After many years of debate, the recently submitted draft Kingdom law on a dispute regulation was welcomed by the IPKO delegations. “For years we have been discussing this. Now at least it is at the stage where it can be handled. I look forward to the debate in the Second Chamber, because ultimately it is the parliaments that must approve such a law,” Wescot-Williams stated.

Democratic Deficit: The democratic deficit remains one of the Kingdom’s most difficult issues. The establishment of a committee to examine this gap was welcomed as progress. Wescot-Williams insisted that the work must move beyond analysis. “The task is now to conclude this and begin concrete work to reduce the deficit and report back to the parliaments,” she said.

Consensus Kingdom Laws: Wescot-Williams called consensus Kingdom laws “a strange creature.” While they fall under the legal framework of Kingdom laws, the procedure to achieve consensus has never been clearly defined. “We must now agree on a clear procedure to arrive at consensus, otherwise consensus Kingdom laws will remain a source of confusion and contention,” she noted.

Call for Follow-Through

Wescot-Williams cautioned against repeating the cycle of taking IPKO decisions only to see them stall. “This is not the fault of any single parliament or government, but it has led to us having to redo work and revisit decisions, such as with the dispute regulation or consensus Kingdom laws. We must ensure that the agreements we take are carried through and not left on paper,” she urged.

In closing, Wescot-Williams said she was satisfied with the outcomes of this session. “I am happy with the way the discussions went, with the respect shown even when opinions differed, and with the concrete afsprakenlijst we achieved. These are matters important for all of us,” she said.

She added that the visit to His Majesty the King during the week was a highlight for the St. Maarten delegation, calling it “a valuable experience and a part of the IPKO that gave added perspective.”

“I look forward to continuing to build on these agreements during the next IPKO. We are here with reason and with a mission, and I remain optimistic that IPKO can move from reports to action,” Wescot-Williams concluded.

The IPKO, held from September 26–29 in The Hague, brought together parliamentary delegations from Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, and the Netherlands to address shared Kingdom issues, including education, ageing populations, geopolitical developments, the democratic deficit, and constitutional instruments such as the dispute regulation and consensus Kingdom laws.

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