The social organizations have delivered a letter to the Kingdom Council of Ministers on January 13, exactly one month ago. The letter was delivered and registered for receipt by the Dutch representative in Sint Maarten, who assured the coordinators of the social organizations, that the Ministers of the Kingdom Council of Ministers would receive the letter the same day. But until! today the social organizations have not received any official answer, nor have they gathered from the media that their request was addressed.
Therefore exactly one month later another letter will be delivered today through the Dutch representative in Sint Maarten to the Kingdom Council of Ministers.
What was the petition of the social organizations? On behalf of the members of our organizations and their family members and the people of Sint Maarten they wanted the Kingdom Council of Ministers to put an end to the discriminatory systems of health care and social provisions in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and to guarantee all citizens of the Kingdom equal rights, wherever one wants to live in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The social organizations claim that all citizens of the state party the Kingdom of the Netherlands are entitled to a non-discriminatory implementation of the International Convention on Economic Social and Cultural Rights throughout the Kingdom according to art 28 of this convention and article 29 of the Treaty of Vienna concerning implementation of treaties in State parties signatory to the treaties.
"As poverty is a violation of the human right to an adequate standard of living for one’s health and wellbeing and of our dignity, we demand of the Kingdom Council of Ministers, as is required from all State parties that ratified this International Covenant, to take steps "to the maximum of its available resources" to guarantee us equal rights, and to cooperate with the government of Sint Maarten, cognicent of the fact that with the CFT and the limited balanced budget of Sint Maarten we cannot come out of poverty."
Now that the Minister of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations, Mrs Spies will be in Sint Maarten on February 13 2011, the letter of the social organizations delivered today, asks Minister Spies "to coordinate in the Kingdom Council of Ministers the cooperation with the government of Sint Maarten, to realize the
equal implementation of our social economic and cultural rights in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with the maximum of available resources in the Kingdom, so that we also can be guaranteed an equal health care quality, an equal health insurance system, and equal social provisions."
The social organizations requested to hear publicly if it is possible before leaving Sint Maarten, that the Kingdom Council of Ministers has or will address this request from the social organizations of Sint Maarten and that cooperation for the full realization of our social economic and cultural rights without any discrimination, limitation or further delay has been guaranteed.
Sint Maarten, February 12, 2012.
On behalf of the social organizations
ABVO-SXM, BBF, HAFH, SMSPA, UFA, SUNFED, WICLU, WICSU/PSU, WIFOL/ASEWI, WITU
The following is a copy of the letter:
Petition To The Kingdom Council Of Ministers
Dear Ministers ofthe Dutch Council of Ministers, Minister Plenipotentiaries of Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten, and Minister oflnterior Affairs and Kingdom Relations in particular.
In our letter of January 12, 2012, delivered to you through the Dutch representative here in Sint Maarten, we have petitioned you on behalf of the social organizations in Sint Maarten, to address as soon as possible the inequality and discrimination in the implementation of the economic, social and cultural
rights in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On behalf of the members of our organizations and their family members, and the people of Sint Maarten, we wanted you to put an end to the discriminatory systems of health care and social provisions in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and to guarantee all citizens of the Kingdom equal rights, wherever we want to live in the Kingdom ofthe Netherlands.
According to art 28 of the International Covenant on Econom ic, Social and Cultural Rights and article 29 of the Treaty of Vienna concerning implementation of Treaties in State parties signatory to the Treaties, all citizens of the state party the Kingdom of the Netherlands are entitled to a non-discriminatory
implementation ofthis treaty throughout the Kingdom.
As poverty is a violation ofthe human right to an adequate standard of living for one’s health and wellbeing and of our dignity, we demand ofthe Kingdom Council of Ministers, to take steps "to the maximum of its available resources" to guarantee us equal rights, and to cooperate with the government of Sint Maarten, cognicent of the fact that with the CFT and the limited balanced budget of Sint Maarten we cannot come out of poverty. This is required from all State parties that ratified this International Covenant.
We have not received any answer so far on our letter dated January 12, 2012 to you, nor could we gather from the local news media that the Kingdom Council of Ministers has considered our petition.
Now that the Minister oflnterior Affairs and Kingdom Relations, Mrs Spies will be in Sint Maarten on February 13 2011, we would like to ask Minister Spies to coordinate in the Kingdom Council of Ministers, the cooperation for the ful l realization of our social, economic and cultural rights without any discrimination,
limitation or further delay, with the government of Sint Maarten. We want the Kingdom Government to support the Government of Sint Maarten, to guarantee the equal implementation of our social, economic and cultural rights throughout the Kingdom ofthe Netherlands, with the maximum of available resources
in the Kingdom.
Sint Maarten, February 12, 2012.
On behalf of the social organizations
—-ABVO-SXM, BBF, HAFH, SMSPA, UFA, SUNFEO, WICLU, WICSU/PSU, WIFOLIASEWI, WITU
