Within the framework of the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultations (IPKO) meetings, extensive deliberations took place recently regarding the structural reforms on the Dutch Caribbean islands, better known as the “Country Packages” (landspakketten) or the Mutual Regulation for Cooperation on Reforms (Onderlinge Regeling Samenwerking bij Hervormingen). Maria van der Sluijs-Plantz, who addressed the IPKO committee, provided a detailed overview of the results of the recent evaluation.
The officially presented evaluation indicates that the cooperation between the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten has generally gone well, although the pace and ease of execution vary by country. According to Van der Sluijs-Plantz, some countries have progressed faster and in a structurally better manner, while others need more support and technical assistance to achieve their goals. Based on these positive results, the committee has issued an official recommendation to extend this cooperation for two more years.
Looking back at the history of this cooperation, Van der Sluijs-Plantz recalled that the process did not start easily. The cooperation began during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period in which the islands felt immense pressure to accept the country packages.
“The cooperation started a bit roughly because it began during the COVID period,” Van der Sluijs-Plantz explained.
She recalled the controversy and discussions surrounding previous proposals, such as the CHE (Caribische Hervormingsentiteit) and COHO (Caribisch Orgaan voor Hervorming en Ontwikkeling), which were not well received on the islands. After these tensions, under the leadership of former State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen, the Mutual Regulation for Cooperation was successfully signed in April 2023, paving the way for better understanding and mutual cooperation.
The Central Message: CHOOSE PRIORITIES
Regarding the future of the reforms, Van der Sluijs-Plantz issued clear advice and a strong message to the island governments: realistic priorities must be established. The evaluation shows that the official country packages were too ambitious and too broad. Although the documents provided a good overview of everything that needs to change, it is impossible to do everything at once.
The central message to the countries is to sit down structurally, analyze their country’s most urgent needs, and decide what comes first before investing resources into other matters.
“Find your priorities. What do you do first, before doing something else? What does your country need most, so that you can run your country properly?” Van der Sluijs-Plantz concluded, emphasizing that this principle applies to all the islands, though each in their own proportion and perspective.