THE HAGUE--With the blessing in the final Round Table Conference (RTC) Curaçao and St. Maarten can attain the status of country within the Dutch Kingdom per October 10, 2010.
It was ascertained at the final RTC that Curaçao and St. Maarten comply with the conditions necessary to become a country. Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba can function as "public entities" in the Dutch Constellation.
The conference ascertained that the Kingdom Law to amend the Charter in connection with the dismantling of the Country the Netherlands Antilles could go into effect on October 10, 2010. The Kingdom Decree to implement the Kingdom Law to amend the Charter will be sent to Her Majesty the Queen for signing.
The process to realise new statuses for Bonaire, Curaçao, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and Saba, as agreed on at the start RTC in November 2005, has come to an end. It was agreed the partners, including Aruba, would continue to cooperate and assist each other.
The plans of approach for Curaçao and St. Maarten, which are part of the cooperation arrangement to guarantee the execution of tasks of the new countries, were endorsed. For St. Maarten this concerns the plans for the police, Pointe Blanche prison, Immigration and Naturalisation Department, National Detectives and Census Office. For Curaçao this concerns plans for the police and Bon Futuro Prison.
The conference endorsed the part of the General Measure of Kingdom Government that regulates a minimum capacity of the Police Forces of Curaçao, St. Maarten and Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, as well as the design plan for the Police Forces of Curaçao and St. Maarten.
The execution of the improvement plan for a part of St. Maarten's Ministry of Public Housing, Physical Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI, namely Physical Planning and Management ROB, will be monitored by the progress committee that also supervises the plans of approach.
The Netherlands will make capacity available for a maximum period of two years to St. Maarten's Legal Affairs Department.
Curaçao and St. Maarten will be in charge of having the progress of the development of their entire government apparatus monitored periodically.
The conference ascertained that the Constitutions of Curaçao and St. Maarten had been ratified, as well as a number of Organic Laws, and that these complied with the set conditions. Organic Laws that hadn't been ratified yet also complied with the conditions set during the Vetting RTC in December 2008.
The conference took note of the efforts by the Netherlands to prepare Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba for their new status. It was ascertained that the necessary legislation for these islands had been approved by the Dutch Second and First Chambers.
The agreement of the Political Steering Group for Constitutional Change to hold a Kingdom Conference on the status of affairs in the Kingdom at least once a year was endorsed at the final RTC.
The document was signed by all entities in the Kingdom, including Aruba.
