Vacancy Island Governor St.Eustatius

Appointment process

The Island Governor will be appointed by royal decree for a period of six years, after being nominated by the State Secretary of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. The (acting) Kingdom Representative for the Public Entities of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba will be responsible for the recruitment and selection process.

The (acting) Kingdom Representative has, together with the Island Council for the Public Entity of St. Eustatius, compiled a profile that will be used when selecting candidates.

The profile can be requested from the secretariat of the (acting) Kingdom Representative by sending an e-mail to: gezaghebberstatia@rijksdienstcn.com

The procedure may include an assessment, thus giving the (acting) Kingdom Representative extra information when making his recommendation.

Prior to the nomination, the candidate that the ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations intends to nominate must undergo a screening process. This screening process will involve checks by the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) and a fiscal investigation.

Legal status

The remuneration offered to the Island Governor has been upgraded. As a result, remuneration will amount to USD 93,986 per year until the 2027, when the term of the Island Council will come to an end. For further information about this and other legal affairs relating to the Island Governor, please refer to the Rechtspositiebesluit politieke gezagdragers BES (Legal status political authorities BES Decree), which can be accessed online.

Application period

If you would like to be considered for this position, you are invited to submit your application before the 24th of July. Your application must be addressed to His Majesty the King.

You are requested to send a signed cover letter that is accompanied by your CV and a recent passport-sized photo. Your application should preferably be sent electronically by sending an e-mail to gezaghebberstatia@rijksdienstcn.com. Should you so desire, you can also send your application via registered post to the (acting) Kingdom Representative.

When doing so, “f.a.o. the Kingdom Representative” and “Confidential” must be mentioned on the envelope. The address is: postbus 338, Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands. You will receive written confirmation within four working days, whether your application is sent via e-mail or by post.

Processing personal data

Personal data, which includes judicial information, will be processed during the selection process. To enable judicial information to be processed, applicants will be asked to sign a consent form that they will receive once their CV and cover letter have been received. Applicants will only be considered if they permit their judicial information to be accessed.

Processing will take place in accordance with the procedure mentioned in the Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba Public Entities Act and the related legislation. Data will be stored in accordance with the legal retention period.

Contact

If you have any questions about the procedure or position, you can contact the secretariat of the Kingdom Representative by sending an e-mail to gezaghebberstatia@rijksdienstcn.com or by calling +599 715 8304.

In 2018, the cabinet decided to introduce administrative measures on St. Eustatius. The appointment process is the final step in the island's return to democracy under the Wet herstel voorzieningen St. Eustatius (Restoration Act St. Eustatius) (phase 3.1). The timing of the appointment will be determined by progress under the Restoration Act.

St. Eustatius

St. Eustatius is the Golden Rock of the Caribbean Sea.

The island is home to breathtakingly beautiful nature, which includes the former volcano known as The Quill and the St. Eustatius National Marine Park.

The island has a rich history, which includes giving the 'first salute' to recognise the United States of America as an independent country for the first time. An island where the past remains visible and tangible to this very day.

An island with a rich culture where people form a tight-knit community, where people look out for each other and are ready to help others.
The island and its nearly 4,000 residents are part of the Caribbean Netherlands.

The island currently finds itself at an administrative turning point, and is looking for a governor that can unite people, create space for public debate and act decisively in times of crisis.

1. Challenges facing St. Eustatius

St. Eustatius is emerging from a turbulent administrative period where the Dutch government took full administrative control of the island. This intervention provoked strong emotions on the island. St. Eustatius is now returning to a normal governance structure. Two key challenges during this process involve managing the relationship with the European Netherlands and continuing effective financial and administrative management.

In addition, there are opportunities to further develop St. Eustatius, e.g. using a clear vision concerning economic developments in the tourism sector. This means that the next chapter in the rich history of St. Eustatius can be written together with the island's residents, businesses, and organisations.

2. Expectations regarding working style

The Public Entity of St. Eustatius and the challenges faced by the island require a governor with a clear profile:

A civic leader (burgermoeder/burgervader) who unites people...
The governor stands among the residents of St. Eustatius and knows how to connect with the many nationalities that live together on the island in a tight-knit community. Respect for everybody's norms and values is a key requirement when doing so.
A guardian of the framework within which political debate takes place...

The governor safeguards the democratic rule of law as well as the quality and legality of decision-making. As Chair of the Island Council and the Executive Council, the governor monitors the administrative process and the integrity thereof. To that end, the governor closely monitors the legal and administrative frameworks of the decision-making process. Within these frameworks, the governor offers politicians the freedom they need to make the required decisions.

A decisive manager in times of crisis...

The island of St. Eustatius is relatively vulnerable to natural disasters such as hurricanes and tsunamis. That is why the governor must be capable of acting decisively in times of crisis. With limited resources, primary aid for residents of the island will be offered by the Public Entity. The governor takes the leading role in this and coordinates the relief effort.

3. Expectations regarding the job

The governor must be:
• A person of integrity: acts clearly and transparently in accordance with generally accepted norms and values. The governor must have a solid moral compass, set a good example and actively radiates integrity awareness. He or she does not shy away from holding others accountable for this, within the Executive Council, the Island Council or the organisation. Unifying: brings unification within the community of St. Eustatius and bridges divides between different groups in order to establish partnerships. One of the key requirements for the governor will be the ability to bridge contrasting views and bring parties together.

• Recognisable: is aware of the political and administrative situation and acts accordingly. The governor identifies with others and is recognisable regardless of the various roles that he/she plays, such as civic leader or crisis manager.

• Stress-resistant: is able to act effectively under stress and during crises, and radiates calm and trust when doing so.

• Independent: stands above all parties, is authoritative and serves as a point of contact for everyone on St. Eustatius. The governor must be approachable, have a natural air of command, and a mindset that maintains sufficient distance from stakeholders.

4. Expectations regarding governance skills and competences

When performing his/her duties, the governor must demonstrate the following governance skills:

• Decisiveness: recognises opportunities, acts accordingly and is not afraid to take the lead. The governor can act quickly and make decisions whenever necessary, but remembers to weigh up the various interests and keep the peace if necessary.

• Skilled negotiator: achieves solutions acceptable to all based on the ability consider the interests and feelings of others. This enables the governor to persuade other parties to achieve objectives.

• Aware of surroundings: the governor must be well-informed about social and political developments, is aware of all interests and capitalises on them in order to benefit St. Eustatius. In addition, the governor must be capable of working within a multicultural context with a variety of people and interests.

• Communication skills: the governor must be a good listener and translate ideas and processes into understandable language, which enables him/her to connect with people from different backgrounds. The governor must also be able to incorporate the input of the population into his/her decision-making.

• Process-management skills: clearly adopts the process within the Executive Council, the Island Council and the organisation, and follows the appropriate steps within a process. Reliably fulfils agreements.

5. Other points for attention

The main language on St. Eustatius is English. The use of Dutch is customary during administrative relations with the European Netherlands. Written and spoken command of both English and Dutch is an important prerequisite for the role of governor.

St. Eustatius is part of the Caribbean Netherlands. Knowledge of the Caribbean region and the Windward Islands in particular is an advantage.
The governor will be required to live and work on St. Eustatius and upon appointment, must establish him/herself on the island if he/she has not already done so.
 

The aforementioned skills and competencies lay the foundations for the annual discussions between the Island Council and the governor.
A number of legal requirements also apply based on the Public Entities Act (Dutch: Wet openbare lichamen BES), including: Dutch citizenship (Article 75); ancillary activities (Article 79); incompatibilities (Article 80 and 82) and actual residence on St. Eustatius (Article 85).