The Parliament of Sint Maarten will be hosting the Inter-parliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO) from January 5-8.
On the agenda to be discussed are a number of topics such as: health care, economic opportunities within the Kingdom with the focus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS); energy; education more specifically the issues students and former students encounter with DUO in the Netherlands where it pertains their study loan and the possibility of studying in the region; the dispute regulation and the use of articles 15 and 20 of the Regulation of the Governor that enables the Kingdom Government to issue instructions to the Governor, among others.
Delegations from the Parliaments of Aruba and Curaçao as well as from the First and Second Chambers of the Netherlands will participate in IPKO this week.
IPKO participants will receive presentations from the Civil Registry on nationality issues caused by administrative errors as well as the Public Prosecutor’s office on a comprehensive approach to fight human trafficking.
The IPKO is a meeting that takes place twice a year where delegations from the Parliaments of the four countries within the Kingdom meet and discuss a number of issues.
The meeting in January is always hosted by one of the Caribbean countries of the Kingdom while the meeting in June is hosted by the Netherlands.
The intention of these meetings is to discuss issues that are of common interest or affect the populations of the countries in one way or the other in order to come with possible solutions.
In addition, it is a good opportunity for the parliamentarians to meet their peers from the other countries to establish that personal contact.
At the end of each IPKO, an agreement list is signed by the delegation leader of each parliamentary delegation. Throughout the year the execution of the agreements made are monitored by each country.
The Presidents of Parliament of the three Caribbean countries of the Kingdom, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, meet every so often in a Tripartite meeting to discuss issues of common interest. These meetings can be held in any of the three countries.
On January 4, prior to the start of the IPKO Consultation, a Tripartite will also take place where Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten will discuss a number of issues such as the possibility of a joint Constitutional Court, a register for wills, appeal in tax court cases, the possibility of reduction of roaming costs between the Caribbean islands of the Kingdom.
The Tripartite will also discuss some of the topics on the agenda of the IPKO in preparation for the Consultation.
Work visits are planned for the Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM Airport) PJIAE N.V. and to the Seawater Reverse Osmosis Desalination Facility in Pointe Blanche (Seven Seas Water).
The IPKO meetings will be streamed live via the website of Parliament www.sxmparliament.org as well as broadcasted live via PEARL Radio Station 98.1 FM.