His Majesty King Willem-Alexander officially opened the centennial congress with an address recognizing the vital role of municipalities in addressing both local and global issues.
“In your streets and neighborhoods, the small and the big worlds touch each other. It’s about parking lots and plantations, but also about global politics casting a shadow over your local communities. You carry your community in your heart. I have great appreciation for the work you do and for the dedication shown by mayors, legislators, council members, and municipal staff,” said King Willem-Alexander.
The Statia delegation participated in panel sessions and a dedicated networking lunch with representatives from the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. Discussions focused on shared governance challenges such as geographic isolation, capacity-building, and sustainable public service delivery.
During the programme, Island Governor Alida Francis delivered brief remarks stating that “This platform strengthens our inter-island collaboration and ensures that the Caribbean Desk agreement is translating into real support for public administration.”
The VNG Congress follows recent efforts to deepen cooperation between the BES islands and Dutch municipalities through the Caribbean Desk initiative, supported by VNG International.
Statia’s participation reflects the Government’s commitment to Kingdom wide engagement, and a forward looking approach to local governance.
