Enabling collaboration to achieve more success throughout the Kingdom

Efficient collaboration has never been more important in enabling effective and comprehensive responses to the socioeconomic development in Sint Maarten and the challenges that can emerge as a result. Responses that are required to assist us in meeting our objectives within a very dynamic context while dealing with limited resources. The Temporary Working Organization of the Ministry of BZK in the Netherlands, familiar with our state of affairs through our collaboration on the reforms, organized the second Counterpart days that captured exactly this importance, namely 'Creating Synergies within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.'

The TWO invited delegations from Aruba, Curacao, and Sint Maarten to participate in the counterpart days in The Hague from June 12 – 14. The Sint Maarten delegation consisted of Mrs. Emilia Thomas-Connor, the acting Secretary General of the Ministry of General Affairs, Mrs. Andrea Ortega-Oudhoff, Liaison Kingdom Relations and Project Manager National Development (BAK), and Ms. Candia Joseph from the Monitoring Committee of the reform measures. The objective of the counterpart days was to improve our success through synergy, communication, and collaboration between the Kingdom partners. Ms. Maria van der Sluijs-Plantz kicked off the three-day event and paved the way for interactive and inspiring sessions on establishing synergies between the four countries.

The Counterpart days that started as a one-time event seem to have become yearly. The four kingdom partners agreed that common challenges and knowledge shared is not only inspiring but also valuable to further collaborate, achieve more successes, and thus reach our country's objectives and ultimately strengthen our entire Kingdom.