THE BOTTOM- A three-member delegation, appointed by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK), which is assessing the possible introduction of the equal treatment legislation in the Caribbean Netherlands visited Saba last week for talks with authorities and stakeholders.

The delegation, headed by former Bonaire Island Governor Glenn Thodé, spoke with the Island Council, Executive Council, policy advisors and management of the Public Entity Saba, the Community Development Department, Saba Cares, Body, Mind & Spirit (BMS), police and the Saba Comprehensive School (SCS) about the anti-discrimination legislation that is being considered for the islands.

The aim of the three-day visit was to exchange views about the occurrence of discrimination in the community and the way in which this legislation can help to remedy this. “We are assessing the forms of equal and unequal treatment on the islands. What kind of discrimination issues are there, what are the needs, and how we can find useful solutions together,” said Thodé, who mentioned that setting up a local Reporting Point for victims of discrimination is also being considered.

Mandate

“We also talked about having the Netherlands Human Rights Institute carry out the legal judgement in equal treatment cases on the islands. The institute already does this in the Netherlands but never received the mandate to do so on the islands,” explained delegation member Suzanne Vogel-Koelman of the Ministry of BZK.