Congres “Vijftien jaar na 10/10/10” – Ontmanteling van de Nederlandse Antillen

The 36th Congress “Fifteen Years after 10/10/10” – Dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles looks back on the 15 years since the constitutional reform of the Netherlands Antilles.

The conference will focus on the relations between the countries of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten and the Netherlands, and the position of the public bodies of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba in the Netherlands.

On October 10, 2010, a major constitutional reform was implemented, resulting in the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. At that point, Curaçao and Sint Maarten became independent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba became public entities and have been part of the Netherlands ever since.

The constitutional change of October 10, 2010, has had significant consequences for the independent countries and public bodies. A new balance had to be found in various areas, including politics, but also social, economic, and fiscal matters. A key question is whether this balance has been found and, if so, whether it is working satisfactorily.

Previous InterExpo conferences highlighted the need for solid and reliable ties between the countries and public bodies in the Caribbean and the Netherlands. This particularly involves mutual understanding of each other’s culture, history, and background. Interference in the communication channels can quickly lead to misunderstandings and mistrust.

The conference “Fifteen Years after 10/10/10” aims to analyze what’s going well in the collaboration between the countries, public bodies, and the Netherlands, and what needs improvement. Panel discussions will be held around several themes, to which the audience can actively contribute.

Panel discussions around themes

The topics for the panel discussions are:

1. Debate Day 1: “Future prospects for the Kingdom of the Netherlands: visions and expectations.”
2. Debate Day 2: “Socially Just Education in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.” What has been done over the past fifteen years, and what could be improved?
3. Debate Day 3: “What does the Netherlands and the islands really want from each other?”

The various panel discussions will be chaired by Prof. Dr. Ernst Hirsch Ballin, former Minister of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands, and Ms. Suzy Camelia Römer, former Prime Minister of Curaçao, politician, and currently a research associate at the University of Curaçao. The conference chair will be Prof. Dr. Peter Diekman RA.

Speakers conference

The conference will be officially opened by State Secretary Eddie van Marum of Kingdom Relations. Keynote speakers include Minister of State Prof. Dr. Jan Peter Balkenende, the National Ombudsman Mr. Reinier van Zutphen, Prof. Dr. Edwin Bleichrodt, Attorney General at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, Ms. Sarah Wescot-Williams, Speaker of the Parliament of Sint Maarten, Drs. Luc Mercelina, Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, Mr. Mike G. Eman, Prime Minister of Aruba, and many others.

During the conference, a joint presentation will be given by Mr. Geoffrey Wever, Minister of Finance of Aruba, and Ms. Lidewijde Ongering of the Financial Supervision Board (CFT). The core of the presentation will be how the CFT anticipates the current financial situation and what the future holds.

InterExpo Caribbean NV is organizing the 36th congress “Fifteen Years After 10/10/10” on December 9, 10, and 11, 2025, at the Nieuwspoort press and debate center in The Hague.

Visitors must be able to identify themselves and register in advance via the website: https://www.nieuwspoort.nl/contact .

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