Kingdom Conference in June

The Daily Herald writes that the 2015 Kingdom Conference on Curaçao has been moved from April 8 to June 16, Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk informed the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Tuesday. Plasterk explained in his letter that he received word from Curaçao Prime Minister Ivar Asjes on February 2 that the Kingdom Conference could not go ahead on April 8 as planned due to “unforeseen circumstances.” Asjes also sent a similar letter to his colleagues Mike Eman of Aruba and Marcel Gumbs of St. Maarten.

Asjes has proposed to hold the conference on June 16, which Plasterk stated was fine with him. The minister said that the annotated agenda for the conference wasn’t ready as yet. The dispute arrangement for the Kingdom and Children’s Rights will be on the agenda in any case.

Plasterk stated that he was still striving to reach a consensus on the dispute arrangement at the 2015 Kingdom Conference. He explained that he has asked the prime ministers of the Dutch Caribbean countries to appoint representatives who can prepare a proposal for a dispute arrangement. Plasterk has prepared an initial document which should be discussed in February. Cooperation in the health care sector in the various countries of the Kingdom will be an agenda point as well, submitted by Plasterk. Being planned for the same month, June, is a Kingdom health care conference on Aruba.

Various work groups will be giving a presentation at the Kingdom Conference on Curaçao on June 16. The work group economic cooperation has met several times in 2014 and will present a number of concrete possibilities for economic cooperation in areas such as free trading zones, tax treaties, competition, internal and external trade promotion, aviation and maritime affairs. The work group cohesion in the Kingdom started executing its task in November 2014 to present concrete recommendations that are aimed at promoting the mutual cohesion within and with the Kingdom.

The cohesion work group will explicitly take the wishes of the people into account, and not so much the desires of the politicians, stated Plasterk who promised to keep the Second Chamber informed of further developments regarding the Kingdom Conference and the dispute arrangement.