PHILIPSBURG:--- Dr. Rhoda Arrindell represented the One St. Martin Association (One SXM) at the United Nations during the launch of the second Decade for People of African Descent, held in New York City on April 14 and 15, 2025.
The theme for the new decade of global activities is “People of African Descent: Recognition, Justice, and Development.”
The One SXM written presentation was submitted to the fourth session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent during the general debate last Monday. The presentation highlighted issues of identity, justice, and reparations relative to St. Martin, south and north, said Dr. Arrindell, president of One SXM.
On the issue of justice, Arrindell said the statement pointed out that “the universal principle of having people judged by their peers does not apply in St. Martin, on either part of the island. While each territory has a local police force that conducts daily policing on the streets, justice is meted out by authorities representing France and the Netherlands.”
Arrindell said that One SXM also emphasized, during the two-day program, the essential need for reparatory justice for the people of St. Martin. She noted that “the apologies issued by the Netherlands and the statement of regret by France” are “without a commitment to reparations,” and pointed out that, while there is “the decision to fund a ‘state-of-the-art’ prison in the southern part of the island, support for a duly funded, bona fide independent university is lacking.”
