DEN HAAG – State Secretary Zsolt Szabó of Kingdom Relations and Digitalization, signed on Tuesday a memoranda of understanding for the support and leadership program for the promoting of good governance on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. He signed the agreements with the island governors of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, the professional associations of mayors, aldermen, municipal council members, municipal secretaries and clerks.  

The support program makes the professional development supply of professional associations available for Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. It concerns, among other things, workshops, education and trainings for Island Council members, commissioners, island governors, clerks and staff of the clerk. The Caribbean context and the needs of the islands will be taken into consideration.

A memorandum for each of the three islands was drafted and signed by the state secretary and Island Governors John Soliano of Bonaire, Alida Francis of Sint Eustatius and Jonathan Johnson of Saba on Tuesday.

On behalf of the professional associations Jeroen van Gool of the Association of Aldermen, Abdullah Uysal of the Association for Councilors, Arnout van Kooij of the Association of Clerks, Hilde Westera of the Dutch Association of Mayors and Esther Sommer of the Association of Municipal Secretaries signed the agreement.

Priorities

‘I am very content that the professional associations and the islands decided to join forces to realize this’, said State Secretary Szabó. The support program fits well in one of the priorities of the state secretary, namely the promoting of good governance.

‘For the promoting of good governance it is important to invest in the professionalizing of the position and effectivity of political office holders, island secretaries and island clerks’, stated Szabó. The two other priorities of the state secretary are solid public finances and increasing the self-reliance of the islands.

Further strengthening

‘Capacity strengthening is very important for a small island like Saba and we can benefit from the support offered. At the same time the professional associations can also learn from Saba’, said Island Governor Johnson. ‘The development of the islands is a process that we need to give content to together. This program is an important instrument to help each other’, said Island Governor Soliano. ‘In the interest of further development of the islands, we move together for the further strengthening of the local public administration’, said Island Governor Francis. ‘For us this means that the input and support of the past years is consolidated so we can support Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba for multiple years’, said Van Gool of the Association of Aldermen.

Strength of democracy

‘A strong council matters. With this program we are investing in the strength of the local democracy’, stated Uysal of the Association for Councilors. ‘This is a next step in our contacts and further professionalizing of the islands governors’, said Westera of the Dutch Association of Mayors. ‘It is great to continue working together on a stronger government’, stated Sommer of the Association of Municipal Secretaries.

The Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations (BZK) facilitates the program with a subsidy grant to the professional associations. Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba and the professional associations have been intensely involved in the setting up of the program.