Dutch and French to resolve St Maarten St Martin Border Conflict

Dutch and French to resolve St Maarten St Martin Border Conflict

OYSTER POND: THE BORDER SHOULD BE DELIMITED THIS YEAR
16.02.2022
Oyster Pond: the border should be demarcated this year

“Pending the finalization of the territorial negotiations between France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands which will be held at the end of 2018, the parties note the interest of the rapid development of an approved framework, applicable in a spirit of courtesy. reciprocal, to the management of any space over which there is a dispute of sovereignty. This is an extract from the “joint declaration” signed on June 28, 2018 by the official representatives at the time of France, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Collectivity of Saint-Martin and the government of Sint Maarten. While most of the statement focused on strengthening cooperation between the two parts of the island in various fields, a paragraph at the end of the document alluded to the border issue at Oyster Pond.

Four and a half years later, the situation has not changed: the parties must always show courtesy and territorial negotiations have not taken place. We still do not know where the border passes.

However, the prefect of Saint-Martin recently announced that the negotiations between France and the Netherlands had resumed at the end of last year and that they were going well… He specified that they related to the delimitation of the border and not on the demarcation (consolidation of the delimitation) which will be the next step. The state representative refused to give details of the exchanges between the countries. “The momentum is on the right track,” he simply commented.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of ​​1982, known as the Montego Bay Convention, the border in a bay shared between two States must pass in the middle: the points of its course must be “equidistant from the points closest to the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea of ​​each of the two States is measured”.

But it remains to know where the points of origin are, constituted by the base line. In October 2017, France responded to this by publishing a decree in which it indicates the geographical coordinates of the baselines from which the territorial sea adjacent to the islands of the French West Indies, including Saint-Martin, is measured (points 1 and 2 on the card for Oyster Pond*).

Current discussions between the parties relate to these points from which a route will be suggested; a project should be validated by the end of the year, confided the prefect. The cartographic representation of delimitation is carried out by the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Navy (SHOM). Then, once the maritime areas of France and the Netherlands in this area at Oyster Pond have been delimited, they will have to be advertised to the General Secretariat of the United Nations.

  • Babit Point: 18-03-14 N / 063-00-37 W. Low water mark (including permanent port facilities). Point on the low-water line of the Etang aux Huîtres where the areas of sovereignty of France and the Netherlands separate: 18-03-22 N / 063-01-09 W.

OYSTER POND : LA FRONTIÈRE

DEVRAIT ÊTRE DÉLIMITÉE CETTE ANNÉE
16.02.2022
Oyster Pond : la frontière devrait être délimitée cette année

«Dans l’attente de la finalisation des négociations territoriales entre la France et le Royaume des Pays-Bas qui se tiendront fin 2018, les parties relèvent l’intérêt de l’élaboration rapide d’un cadre agréé, applicable dans un esprit de courtoisie réciproque, à la gestion de tout espace sur lequel existe un différend de souveraineté.» Ceci est un extrait de la «déclaration commune» signée le 28 juin 2018 par les représentants officiels à l’époque de la France, du Royaume des Pays-Bas, de la Collectivité de Saint-Martin et du gouvernement de Sint Maarten. Si l’essentiel de la déclaration portait sur le renforcement de la coopération entre les deux parties de l’île dans divers domaines, un paragraphe en fin de document faisait allusion au problème de la frontière à Oyster Pond.

Quatre ans et demi plus tard, la situation n’a pas changé : les parties doivent toujours faire preuve de courtoisie et les négociations territoriales n’ont pas eu lieu. On ne sait toujours pas où passe la frontière.

Cependant, le préfet de Saint-Martin a récemment annoncé que les négociations entre la France et les Pays-Bas avaient repris en fin d’année dernière et qu’elles se passaient bien… Il a précisé qu’elles portaient sur la délimitation de la frontière et non sur la démarcation (concrétisation de la délimitation) qui sera l’étape suivante. Le représentant de l’Etat a refusé de livrer les détails des échanges entre les pays. «La dynamique est en bonne voie», s’est-il contenté de commenter.

Selon la convention des Nations unies sur le droit de la mer de 1982 dite convention de Montego Bay, la frontière dans une baie partagée entre deux Etats, doit passer au milieu : les points de son tracé doivent être «équidistants des points les plus proches des lignes de base à partir desquelles est mesurée la largeur de la mer territoriale de chacun des deux Etats».

Mais reste à savoir où se trouvent les points d’origine, constitués par la ligne de base. En octobre 2017, la France y a répondu en publiant un décret dans lequel elle indique les coordonnées géographiques des lignes de base à partir desquelles est mesurée la mer territoriale adjacente aux îles des Antilles française, Saint-Martin compris (points 1 et 2 sur la carte pour ce qui concerne Oyster Pond*).

Les discussions actuelles entre les parties portent sur ces points à partir desquels un tracé sera suggéré ; un projet devrait être validé d’ici la fin de l’année a confié le préfet. La représentation cartographique de délimitation est effectuée par le Service hydrographique et océanographique de la marine (SHOM). Puis, une fois les espaces maritimes de la France et des Pays-Bas dans cette zone à Oyster Pond délimités, ils devront faire l’objet d’une publicité auprès du secrétariat général des Nations unies.

  • Babit Point : 18-03-14 N / 063-00-37 W. Laisse de basse mer (incluant les installations portuaires permanentes). Point de la laisse de basse mer de l’Etang aux Huîtres où se séparent les zones de souveraineté de la France et des Pays-Bas : 18-03-22 N / 063-01-09 W.
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French Saint Martin Carnaval Schedule

French Saint Martin Carnaval Schedule

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MP DUNCAN TO ADAPT MODEL LAWS ON SPECIAL NEEDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

MP DUNCAN TO ADAPT MODEL LAWS ON SPECIAL NEEDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

On February 14, 2022, the St. Maarten delegation returned from Panama after attending the XXXVI General Assembly for the Parliament of Latin America and the Caribbean (PARLATINO); the first in-person meeting since the start of the COVID 19 pandemic. Member of Parliament Solange Ludmila Duncan attended all sessions and upon return, has submitted a full report to Parliament on the matters discussed, model laws approved and possible action points moving forward.

“When I became a Member of Parliament, I joined a variety of Parlatino committees because I do believe that there is value in membership. During my master’s program for instance, much of my research surrounded development policies in Latin America and the Caribbean so I always knew that there were untapped resources or connections that could be of use for the country. We just have not taken as much advantage of those resources as we should,” stated the MP.

During the week of February 7th, Duncan took part in sessions at Parlatino Headquarters for the Committee of Political, Municipal and Integration Affairs. A comprehensive presentation was given by The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)on the issues concerning Covid 19 and methods for integrating tourism, migration, health and economic policy solutions. “During this session I gave a short speech, in Spanish, on St. Maarten’s continued vulnerability owing to both COVID 19 and hurricanes. I also mentioned the need for increased cooperation and knowledge sharing via this body. For those of us like myself who studied Spanish in both high school and college, the language is not as great a barrier as some might believe. At the General Assembly there were diplomats from all around the world who gave speeches in their own languages about what….? Cooperation. We need to see beyond our small differences and focus on what makes us similar and go from there,” noted the MP.

In addition to partaking in committee meetings, the parliamentarians present, in the General Assembly, were allowed to vote on the approval of three model laws. These are draft laws of which each country can adapt as their own. MP Duncan has returned with the enthusiasm that two of the model laws, in particular, compliments the work she is doing in Parliament.

“I was happy to approve and obtain a model law on Special Needs and Inclusive Education. I have been a proponent for reforms and advancement in special needs education on St. Maarten since being elected. This model law will now add substance to the amendments to our education laws that I am working on as it concerns the rights of students who require additional support for special and extraordinary needs.”

The MP plans to adapt a second model law presented at the General Assembly on the prevention and reduction of marine contamination. Biodiversity and environmental protection in the region were important themes during the General Assembly. “Although St. Maarten is making progress as it concerns green policies, as a Parliament, I believe that we have an important job in legislating to protect and preserve our natural heritage.; a heritage that has been overlooked for far too long. This model law focuses on protecting our oceans and lays out the various responsibilities of all stakeholders, in addition to a number of key components.” added the MP.

In addition to legislative amendments, MP Duncan will also be sending letters to various Ministers concerning matters that have arisen from discussions at Parlatino. These matters include poverty alleviation, environmental matters, public management and education. The MP has come to the conclusion that although spending should be limited as it concerns travel for such meetings, membership to PARLATINO is worthwhile and valuable; once utilized effectively.

“I am a regionalist. This is why I asked the Government about securing OECS membership last year and this is why I joined the PARLATINO committees when I joined Parliament. St. Maarten is a beacon of hope for diversity and multi-cultural politics. We should not only be a part of, but tap into the resources offered by, all political or economic organizations within our region. This is also why I believe that French and Spanish should be taught in elementary schools. If we only knew how much we could gain from, but also offer to, organizations like Parlatino within our region, we would be able to more effectively solve many of our national policy dilemmas.’” concluded Duncan.

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A large crowd gathered in support of RSM TEAM at the headquarters in Concordia.

A large crowd gathered in support of RSM TEAM at the headquarters in Concordia.

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E-Residency”-expert Ragnar Siil keynote for SMILE

“E-Residency”-expert Ragnar Siil keynote for SMILE

The Department of Culture of the Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture and Sports and the organizers of the St. Maarten Innovations, Initiatives and Industries Link-Up Event (SMILE) jointly announced today the confirmation of Ragnar Siil of Creativity Lab as one of the keynote speakers of this year’s SMILE event on March 25- 26, 2022.

Formerly Secretary of State for the Arts of Estonia and Chairman of the European Union Expert Group on Cultural and Creative Sectors, Ragnar Siil is a Founder and Director of Creativity Lab (www.creativitylab.eu), a leading cultural policy and creative industries think-tank and consultancy.

Siil has been closely related to the development of the “E-residency” wonder of Estonia. When the Soviet Union fell apart, the newly created country decided to go fully for e-government. Estonian residents are only asked to meet with government once. After this, all correspondence is channeled digitally in a customer friendly way. The sole exception being the optional exchanging of vows when getting married; this still has to happen in person. Banking has also been a predominantly digital affair for decades.

The novel approach to service brought a highly successful IT sector to the country. This expanded as many international creative companies, also from the Caribbean, have obtained digital e-residency in Estonia. By means of its move to cut bureaucracy, Estonia grew to one of the world’s foremost digital hubs.

By inviting Siil, the Department of Culture highlights the necessity to boost the creative economy of St Maarten. This year’s SMILE theme is “Sustainable Economies Post COVID”, trying to explore opportunities beyond the pandemic. The Caribbean creative economy has been dubbed one of the region’s greatest growth opportunities in amongst others the well-known study “The Orange Economy: an Infinite Opportunity” by Felipe Buitrago Restrepo and Iván Duque Márquez. An earlier announced speaker, awarded movie director Ignas van Schaick, also befits this economic bracket.

Ragnar is also a Director of the Board of the Cultural Policy Designers Network (www.culturaldesigners.eu), a European network of independent cultural policy experts. He is a strategy adviser for governments, cultural organizations and creative enterprises, and a researcher at Estonian Business School on creative clusters management. Previously, Ragnar Siil has advised drafting of cultural policies and creative industries strategies and worked with projects in more than 25 countries.

SHTA and 360* of Innovation thank the Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Atlas Risk Insurances, Grant Thornton, the Central Bank of Curacao & St. Maarten, Dynaf, the Department of Culture of MECYS, ShowMe Caribbean, Guardian Group and host University of St. Maarten for cooperating on SMILE’s 2022 edition.

The St. Maarten Innovations, Initiatives & Industries Link-Up Event (SMILE) was founded in the wake of hurricane Irma to inspire the Northeastern Caribbean business community with best practices in innovation and sustainability, local and international. As of its first edition in 2018, SMILE has proven a great opportunity for professionals to get (re)connected and obtain new professional updates and ideas and enhance skills.

SMILE will be held on Friday March 25 and Saturday March 26, 2022, at the University of St. Maarten. In cooperation with the Department of Culture, extra attention to this year’s SMILE event will go out to creative entrepreneurs of the region

Early bird season started this week: interested people who want to participate at SMILE, both domestic and foreign, can contact the SMILE project office at office@shta.com or call +1-721-542-0108. More information can be found at www.smilesintmaarten.com.

For this edition, a close eye is kept on the developments pertaining to the pandemic to guarantee safety. If the status at the time requires reduced crowd size, tickets will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis.

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