Willemstad:---  On January 30th, 2026, the (Kingdom) Council of Ministers agreed with the appointment of Prof. Dr. Paul Hilbers as new member of the three Boards on the recommendation of the Netherlands. Mr. Hilbers succeeds Mr. Hans Hoogervorst. Earlier, on October 31st, 2025, the (Kingdom) Council of Ministers appointed Mr. Hans Hoogervorst, MA, as Chair of the three Boards of financial supervision (Cft), succeeding Ms. Lidewijde Ongering, MA, who held the position of Chair for three years. Both Paul Hilbers and Hans Hoogervorst will assume their new positions as from February 1st, 2026.
After having studied Math at the Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht and Econometrics and International Economy at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, Paul Hilbers pursued a career in the financial sector. During that period, he had a long-standing association with the Nederlandsche Bank, among others as Director of Policy Supervision and Director of Financial Stability.
Furthermore, Hilbers held several positions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, most recently as a member of the Executive Board, a position he held until late 2024. He is an emeritus professor at the Nyenrode Business Universiteit and has authored a great number of national and international publications on macroeconomic policy, public finance, supervision of the financial sector and international economic relations.
Outgoing Chair Lidewijde Ongering wishes both Hans Hoogervorst and Paul Hilbers all the best in their new positions.

The Statia Government welcomes the recent court ruling that recognises the urgent need for stronger protection of Bonaire and its people against the impacts of climate change. We congratulate the people of Bonaire and Greenpeace on this important milestone and acknowledge the ruling as a clear signal that meaningful action is no longer optional, but necessary.

This judgment confirms what Caribbean communities have long experienced. Our islands are on the front line of climate change, while not always receiving equal levels of protection, infrastructure, and opportunity. Statia fully endorses the ruling and sees it as highly relevant not only for Bonaire, but for all Dutch Caribbean Islands.

Climate adaptation, the development of robust climate plans, and strengthening local self reliance are essential for our future. Protecting our islands also means safeguarding economic development, food security, and resilient livelihoods. These goals cannot be achieved in isolation. With support from the Netherlands, Statia has developed a Climate Plan that serves as a clear roadmap to transition the island towards long term resilience. Sustainable financing mechanisms, including programmes such as the Nature Environment Policy Plan, are critical to enable long term, locally driven solutions.

The ruling also has broader significance for other pressing dossiers, including equal provision levels for physical infrastructure, digital and transport connectivity, and overall livelihood security. Climate justice is inseparable from social and economic justice.

Statia emphasises that protecting our island is a shared responsibility. We cannot do this alone. Close and structural cooperation with the Netherlands is essential to ensure equal treatment, sustainable development, and a secure future for current and future generations.

We stand ready to work together as island governments, communities, civil society, and the Netherlands to turn this ruling into concrete and lasting action.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) proudly congratulates Police Officer Vanesa. Martina on the successful completion of an intensive international police training program at the Abu Dhabi Police College in the United Arab Emirates.

Officer Martina was selected to participate in the IACP / UAE Ministry of Interior Police Academy Exchange Program, an international initiative organized in collaboration with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the UAE Ministry of Interior (MOI). This prestigious program brought together police officers from various countries for advanced professional development.

The training program commenced in September 2025 and spanned a period of five months, during which Officer Martina underwent comprehensive academy-style training. The curriculum included physical fitness, marching, practical police exercises, and academic studies, all conducted within a structured police academy environment.

Officer Martina distinguished herself throughout the program, graduating as one of the top performers in her group. In recognition of her outstanding performance, discipline, and professionalism, she was honored as one of the select officers permitted to carry the ceremonial sword during the official graduation ceremony held on January 29th, 2026 a distinction reserved for exemplary graduates.

The Police Force of Sint Maarten takes great pride in Officer Martina’s achievements, which reflect not only her personal dedication and commitment, but also the high standards and professionalism of KPSM officers on the international stage.

Officer V. Martina is scheduled to return to Sint Maarten on Saturday, January 31, 2026, following her successful completion of the program.

PHILIPSBURG:--- In the theater of St. Maarten politics, memory is often short, but the script remains tired and predictable. Few politicians embody this selective amnesia quite like Member of Parliament and Democratic Party Leader Sarah Wescot-Williams. Her maneuvering today to debunk a motion of disapproval against sitting Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina stands in stark, hypocritical contrast to her own ruthless playbook from 2015.

Let’s rewind the tape.

In October 2015, the political landscape was set ablaze when Wescot-Williams tabled a motion of no confidence against the Gumbs Cabinet. At the time, her rhetoric was sharp and unforgiving. The motion cited a government "oblivious" to the urgent needs of the people, from healthcare to housing, and decried a "blatant disrespect" for Parliament.

But the devil is in the details of how that execution was carried out. Then Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs was not even present to defend himself against the accusations levied by Wescot-Williams. In fact, reports indicate he was in the air—literally flying—when his political fate was sealed.

Did Wescot-Williams care about due process then? Did she pause to consider the stability of the nation or the fairness of trying a man in absentia? No. She had no interest in giving Gumbs time to defend himself. The objective was power, and the method was a surprise ambush supported by a coalition of defectors and opposition members. It was a cold, calculated move that toppled a government without a backward glance at "protocol" or "fair play."

Fast forward to today. The same Sarah Wescot-Williams, who once orchestrated the firing of a Prime Minister mid-flight, is now the shield for Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina. When faced with a motion of disapproval against the current leadership, she suddenly finds the moral high ground to debunk it.

The hypocrisy is not just real; it is suffocating.

When it suited her agenda in 2015, instability was a necessary price to pay for removing a government she deemed leaderless. She stood by as MP Silvio Matser "drew a line in the sand," severing ties with the UP party and plunging the Council of Ministers into chaos. Back then, the narrative was about saving the country from a lack of leadership and an absence of a measurable government program.

Yet now, when similar questions of competence and governance arise, the rules of the game have conveniently changed. The aggression she wielded against Gumbs has been replaced by a protective stance for Mercelina. 

It begs the question: Is her compass guided by the genuine welfare of St. Maarten, or merely by who sits in the chair next to her?

In addition to her glaring double standards, one must also question Sarah Wescot-Williams' apparent indifference to the plight of St. Maarten's frontline workers, who have been on a go-slow for over a year. These are the very individuals who keep the wheels of the nation turning, yet their grievances remain unresolved, their voices unheard. Where is Wescot-Williams' urgency for accountability and action when it comes to addressing their concerns? Does their struggle not warrant the same fervor she once displayed in toppling a government? Or perhaps their votes and well-being simply do not align with her current political agenda. The silence is deafening, and it raises yet another troubling question: How can a leader claim to champion the people while ignoring the backbone of the nation?

Sarah Wescot-Williams cannot have it both ways. She cannot be the executioner of 2015, silencing a Prime Minister without hearing, and the righteous defender of 2026, crying foul when the opposition utilizes the very tools she once sharpened. St. Maarten deserves governance based on consistent principles, not the whimsical convenience of its longest-serving politicians. Until our leaders can look in the mirror and address their own history, the island will remain trapped in this cycle of instability and distrust.

This brand of political double standards does more than just annoy the electorate; it erodes the very foundation of public trust. How can the people of St. Maarten believe in the integrity of their institutions when the rules of engagement shift with the political winds? When "accountability" is a weapon used only against enemies, and "stability" is a shield reserved only for allies?

In 2015, MP Franklin Meyers noted during the debate that "the only thing that exceeds power here is the craving for more power." That statement rings truer today than ever.