News item | 04-04-2023 | 2:00 PM
With the signatures of the Prime Ministers of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten and the State Secretary for Kingdom Relations under a new Mutual Arrangement, the legal basis has been laid for sustainable cooperation on the reforms in the public sector of the Caribbean countries of the Kingdom. In addition to financial, economic and social reforms, it is also about reforms in education, healthcare and strengthening the rule of law.
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The reforms have been implemented for two years on the basis of the country packages of the Caribbean countries. The aim is to increase the economic resilience and administrative strength of the countries, in the interest of their inhabitants. This is necessary because the corona pandemic highlighted the Countries’ vulnerability to economic adversity and thus the need for reforms.
The new Mutual Arrangement is the instrument that is used for sustainable cooperation within the Kingdom. The scheme is based on equality, ownership and communality. There is also mutual commitment. For example, the governments of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten have committed themselves to implementing reforms for four years. The Netherlands, in turn, is committed to providing the necessary support in this regard. This is done by making implementation capacity and financial resources available.
On the basis of the new Mutual Regulation, the Caribbean countries of the Kingdom, each separately, draw up implementation agendas together with the Netherlands. This contains measures and projects to realize the intended reforms in the public sector. Implementing the reforms is primarily the responsibility of the governments of those countries. Responsibility for coordinating the implementation of the reforms in the Caribbean countries rests with the Ministers of General Affairs and the implementing organizations falling under them. In the Netherlands, coordination lies with the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and is carried out by the Temporary Work Organization (TWO).
This working method corresponds to the way in which the countries in the Kingdom have worked together on the reforms over the past two years. The Mutual Arrangement replaces the consensus Kingdom Act COHO (Caribbean Body for Reform and Development).