KRALENDIJK – From June 5th to 18th, the Islands Council of Bonaire is on a working visit to Finland and the Netherlands.

The visit consists of three parts. First, a visit is made to the autonomous island group of Åland. A delegation of council members will hold discussions with the Governor, the government, and members of parliament to learn more about Åland’s separate constitutional position and its political structure within Finland’s system of governance. Additionally, the Island’s Council will receive information about the special arrangements between Åland and the European Union.

Afterward, the Islands Council will attend the annual congress of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG), which is taking place in Groningen this time.

Finally, in The Hague, the Council will hold meetings with various ministries, the Council of State, and the Standing Committee for Kingdom Relations of the House of Representatives.

Topics

Important topics of discussion during this working visit include poverty, the social minimum, concerns regarding proposed changes to the organic laws for the Caribbean public bodies (WolBES and FINBES) by the government, the healthcare system, and climate measures.