55 PARLIAMENTARIANS, THE DUTCH REPRESENTATIVE, THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE VICE-PRIME MINISTER RECEIVED PETITION FROM SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS.
On the last day of the Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultations (Friday January 13, 2012) a small delegation of the social organizations of Sint Maarten, delivered the petitions endorsed by their members, in the meeting of Thursday afternoon in the WIFOL, to the parliamentarians of the IPKC, the dutch representative, the prime minister and the vice-prime minister
The three coordinators of the unity of action of the social organizations 1^ Vice-President of WICLU Claire Elshot, 1* vice-president of the SMSPA Raymond Jessurun and Presdident of SUNFED Alberto Bute signed and delivered the petitions on behalf of the (WICLU) Windward Island Chamber of Labor Unions, the (UFA) United Federation of Antilles, the (WIFOL) Workers Institute For Organized Labor / (ASEWI) Association of Staff Employees of Windward Islands, (WITU) Windward Islands Teachers Union, (ABVO-SXM) Algemene Bond Voor Overheidspersoneel – SXM, (WICSU/PSU) Windward Island Civil Servants Union / Private Sector Union, (SMSPA) Sint Maarten Seniors and Pensioners Association, (HAFH) Home Away From Home Foundation, (SUNFED) Sint Maarten United Non-governmental Organizations Fedration, and the (BBF) Building Bridges Foundation,
At 10 am the coordinators of the social organizations handed their petition to add an agenda point on the following Parliamentary Kingdom Consultation to the delegation leaders of the Parliaments of Sint Maarten, Aruba and Curacao, the Netherlands, and to each one of the 55 members of Parliament. The social organizations asked the parliamentarians to cooperate to end the unequal discriminatory realization of all human rights in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, especially our right to health care, our right to social protection, our right to an adequate standard of living, wherever we choose to live in the Kingdom.
The proposed agenda point was later presented by the Sint maarten Parliamentary delegation leader Roy Marliin. He read the proposed agenda point of the social organizations, which was : "Cooperation for the full realization of the economic, social and cultural rights, to guarantee all these rights without discrimination of any kind throughout the Kingdom."
was later presented by the Sint maarten Parliamentary delegation leader Roy Marliin. He read the proposed agenda point of the social organizations, which was : "
Chairlady Gracita Arrindell translated the agendapoint in Dutch. But the Dutch parliamentary delegation had objections to put this agenda point on the agenda of the following IPKC. The Aruba delegation leader then came to the rescue of the proposal and suggested to have this proposal discussed in the Presidium which is the presidents of the parliaments of the four countries in the Kingdom.
The social organizations even put the text of Article2 the International Covenant Economic Social Cultural Rights to argue for their agenda point.
2.1. Each State Party to the present Covenant undertakes to take steps, individually and through international assistance and co-operation, especially economic and technical, to the maximum of its available resources, with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of the rights recognized in the present Covenant by all appropriate means, including particularly the adoption of legislative measures. 2.2. The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to guarantee that the rights enunciated in the present Covenant will be exercised without discrimination of any kind as to race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
DUTCH REPRESENTATIVE
The coordinators of the social organizations platform then visited the Dutch representative in the island of Sint Maarten. The petition was received and registered and the Dutch representative assured that the Minister of Internal Affairs and Kingdom relations will receive this letter. In the letter addressed to all ministers of the Kingdom Council of Ministers, the social organizations are requesting all 14 Dutch ministers and the three Minister Plenipotenciaries of the Caribbean countries in the Kingdom, 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 of the Netherlands. 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.
PRIME MINISTER Sarah Wescot Williams and VICE-PRIME MINISTER Theo Heyliger received a copy of the letter that was first registered by the coordinators at the secretariat of the council of Ministers. In their petition to the Council of Ministers of Sint Maarten the social organizations request the Council of Ministers to instruct the Minister Plenipotenciarey to table the unequal realization of human rights on the agenda of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom meeting. "As poverty is a violation of the human right to an adequate standard of living for one’s health and well being and of our dignity, and cognicent of the fact that with the CFT and the limited balanced budget of Sint Maarten we cannot come out of poverty. We support you the government of Sint Maarten in your 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."
Monday January 16 the leadership of the social organizations will evaluate the outcome of this Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom. They will then decide on follow up actions to be taken when they meet again at 6 pm at the WITU office.