The parliamentary delegations of Curaçao, Aruba, and Sint Maarten reached a joint Resolution. In this resolution, the three delegations express their disagreement with the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ decision to abstain from voting last March on a United Nations resolution that recognizes slavery as a crime against humanity.
The delegations lament that the Kingdom of the Netherlands took its position on this topic without prior consultation with the three countries within the Kingdom. This is despite the direct historical, social, and moral importance that this subject holds for them. For this reason, the resolution emphasizes that this lack of consultation once again demonstrates a structural ‘democratic deficit’ within the Kingdom, particularly regarding foreign affairs that directly affect the Caribbean countries.
During the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO) in The Hague, the three delegations, represented by their Presidents of Parliament — Mr. Alfred Sneek (Aruba), Mr. Fergino Brownbill (Curaçao), and Mrs. Sarah Wescot-Williams (Sint Maarten) — presented this resolution to the delegation of the States-General of the Netherlands (First and Second Chamber).