THE HAGUE/SABA—The visit of the Saba Island Council to the Netherlands was generally perceived by the delegation members as very positive and conducive to the relations with the Netherlands, especially in terms of bringing forward Saba’s issues and discussing solutions in the interest of the people.

On Friday, July 1, the Island Council closed off its yearly working visit to the Netherlands. The delegation, consisting of Chairman Jonathan Johnson, Island Council Members Carl Buncamper, Vito Charles, Eviton Heyliger, Esmeralda Johnson and Hemmie van Xanten and Island Registrar Akilah Levenstone, had a busy schedule with many meetings and location visits.

Concerns

“During these visits, we can highlight our issues, explain why we need solutions and how to go about that. It is a yearly opportunity to express our concerns and to discuss solutions,” said Esmeralda Johnson. “The main goal of our travels to the Netherlands is to continue to raise awareness for the Saba issues. The physical distance between Saba and the Netherlands is big and we are not always on the mind of The Hague. When we are here, we can address our issues. Often after our visit, we see increased attention and solutions,” said Vito Charles.