THE NETHERLANDS (THE HAGUE):--- The participation of the Sint Maarten delegation at the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women was essential, as it is closely linked to the outcomes of the Strasbourg Conference. Insights gathered in New York will help assess whether ratifying the Istanbul Convention is relevant and necessary for Sint Maarten.
Minister Plenipotentiary Gracita Arrindell considered the conference a success and expressed her gratitude: “Gratitude goes out to the exceptional support team afforded to the Sint Maarten delegation under the leadership of the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations, Mrs. Lise Gregoire van Haaren."
While the Kingdom of the Netherlands is a signatory to the Istanbul Convention, only the European part of the Netherlands has ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (on November 18, 2015).
Sint Maarten determines independently how and within what timeframe it will proceed with implementation. As of now, this has not been possible due to the need for legislative and regulatory amendments to meet the Convention’s requirements.
Sint Maarten must first determine which specific areas of the Convention it wishes to prioritize. It must assess which obligations align with current policies and to what extent sufficient legal provisions are already in place. Additionally, the island must identify the necessary implementation measures that are still lacking on the island.
The conference in New York also followed up on discussions held at the Istanbul Conference in December 2024, which focused on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
Both conferences aim to contribute to the prevention, prosecution, and elimination of violence against women and children, with a particular emphasis on domestic violence.
The primary focus of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women was the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, along with the outcomes of the 23rd Special Session of the UN General Assembly.
This review included an assessment of ongoing challenges that impact the realization of gender equality, the empowerment of women, and their contribution to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
There is growing concern over the regression and deliberate erosion of hard-won women’s rights, particularly in the public sector, since the original Beijing Conference.
The 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was commemorated in New York and took place in March 2025.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands was represented by a delegation including the Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten, Drs. Gracita R. Arrindell, the Prime Minister of Aruba, H.E. Evelyn Croes, and the State Secretary
