In recent discussions on heritage and museums in the Caribbean, increasing attention has been given to cultural artifacts that were involuntarily surrendered or stolen during the colonial period. In response, the ministers of the Four-Country Ministerial Consultation decided to establish a working group on collections from a colonial context. As a result, museums and heritage institutions in the Caribbean region will gain more influence over how these collections are handled, grounded in the principle of equal partnership.
The working group held its first in-person meeting on Saba, hosted at the Saba Heritage Center and the Eugenius Johnson Center. The sessions focused on shaping the outlines and priorities for the advice that will be presented to the Four-Country Ministerial Consultation in November 2026. Central themes included collection management and preservation, digitisation, professionalisation, climate-conscious infrastructure, community engagement, knowledge sharing and cooperation within the Kingdom and the wider region.
As the smallest island within the Kingdom, Saba provided a meaningful and welcoming setting for this first gathering. The program also included an educational walk through important historical sites in The Bottom, guided by Saban anthropologist, oral historian and researcher Dimetri Whitfield. In addition, the working group visited the island’s two museums: the Major Osmar Simmons Museum and the Harry L. Johnson Museum.
With a view to the upcoming Four-Country Ministerial Consultation, the working group is preparing recommendations on the return of cultural items and the management of museum collections. A new structure was deliberately chosen for this trajectory, bringing together both civil servants from the governments and heritage and museum experts from the Caribbean and the European part of the Netherlands. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has also commissioned consultancy firm Scriptis, led by Ludmila Duncan, to guide and support the development of the recommendations in collaboration with the working group.
The participants include civil servants and experts from the six Caribbean islands and the Netherlands: Aruba, represented by Raymundo Dijkhoff; Bonaire, by Daudi Cijntje and Ziran Chin-On; Curaçao, by Irelnety Copra and Dyonna Bennett; Sint Maarten, by Koert Kerkhoff; Saba, by Shaigan Marten and Sharifa Balfour; Sint Eustatius, by Sjahaira Fleming; and the Netherlands, by Robert Verhoogt and Remco Vermeulen. Based on their expertise and experience, Arminda Franken-Ruiz and Raimie Richardson complement the group as external advisors.