Wescot-Williams suggest shift from decolonization talk to development

THE HAGUE--At InterExpo 2025 in The Hague, President of Parliament Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams argued that discussions about St. Maarten’s constitutional future should move beyond a focus on decolonization and instead center on the right to development, capacity building, and institutional strengthening.

Fifteen years after St. Maarten became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Wescot-Williams invited a review of whether the current constitutional arrangements are suited to the realities of a Small Island Developing State (SIDS). She noted that the core issue is not only the structure of the Constitution, but whether it is fit for countries with very different political, economic, and geographic conditions.

Central to her remarks was the concept of constitutional suitability. She asked whether present governance structures take into account the scale limitations, vulnerabilities, and high operating costs that characterize small island states. SIDS, she stressed, require proportional treatment within larger political frameworks, rather than uniform models applied across all countries.

In her address, Wescot-Williams highlighted several key issues:

• SIDS realities: Limited scale, constrained administrative capacity, high costs, and exposure to external shocks require governance models tailored to small island contexts instead of arrangements designed for larger states.
• Asymmetric relationships: Ongoing hierarchical power dynamics within the Kingdom continue to hinder balanced partnership and contribute to democratic gaps in decision making.
• Financial oversight: Existing financial supervision frameworks were critiqued for emphasizing control over development. She stated that a more SIDS-appropriate approach should allow counter cyclical investment, resilience planning, and better access to development financing, rather than primarily focusing on fiscal restraint.
• Kingdom affairs: Caribbean countries still have limited influence over important areas such as foreign affairs and defense, despite their status as autonomous countries within the Kingdom.
• Shared Kingdom budget: The absence of a joint Kingdom budget for shared responsibilities was identified as a structural weakness that undermines equal partnership and clarity about joint priorities.
• Scale limitations in public services: Small scale continues to affect healthcare, education, justice, and regulatory systems. Wescot-Williams called for realistic and collaborative solutions within the Kingdom that recognize these constraints and pool capacity where possible.
• Right to development: She proposed that constitutional debates should be reframed around the right to development for St. Maarten and other Caribbean countries in the Kingdom. This means focusing on capacity building, resilience, and institutional strengthening, rather than treating decolonization as the only reference point.
• Partnership and reciprocity: A modern Kingdom relationship, she said, requires both continued governance reform at the country level and impartial, inclusive engagement by Kingdom institutions, with mutual responsibilities clearly defined.
• Equity over equality: Wescot-Williams underlined that equal treatment does not always produce fair outcomes. Equitable results require proportional measures that acknowledge different starting points and vulnerabilities.
• Role of women: She also pointed to the role of women in governance and development across the Kingdom and their influence on future generations of leadership, noting that their participation strengthens institutions and policy outcomes.

In closing, Wescot-Williams outlined a vision grounded in justice, partnership, the right to development, and Caribbean centered governance. She called for a Kingdom relationship that recognizes the specific realities of its Caribbean countries and responds with fairness, responsibility, and mutual respect.

Her participation at InterExpo 2025 reaffirmed St. Maarten’s engagement in constructive dialogue, practical constitutional evaluation, and joint efforts to strengthen institutions and move toward a more balanced Kingdom partnership.

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