The structure and the core tasks of the Integrity Chamber were discussed during an introductory meeting between members of the Chamber and the Council of Ministers on January 16. In photo: Members of the Council of Ministers and the Integrity Chamber.
PHILIPSBURG--The structure and the core tasks of the Integrity Chamber were among the issues discussed during an introductory meeting between members of the Chamber and the Council of Ministers on January 16.
Representing the Integrity Chamber at the meeting were the three current members President Rian Vogels, members Rafael Boasman and Hans Lodder and Director of the Secretariat Charna Pompier.
While Boasman and Lodder were appointed by Sint Maarten since the beginning of 2019, Vogels, a former senior judge with years of judicial background, was appointed as its first President in December of 2019 via Kingdom decree upon binding recommendation of the two Sint Maarten members and has recently assumed office as of January 2020.
Discussed in the meeting were, among other things, the structure of the Integrity Chamber along with its core tasks, which include advising on integrity matters, both solicited and unsolicited, conducting investigations into suspected integrity violations and to continuously create awareness about integrity in the community.
No criminal or personal investigations are conducted by this independent body; however, investigations regarding integrity concerns can be requested by Parliament, government and the public, Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs said during the Council of Ministers weekly press briefing on Wednesday, and subsequently in a press release issued later in the day.
“The Integrity Chamber has the cooperation of the Council of Ministers, along with further assistance, for the finalisation of the Integrity Chamber, the training and (re)assignment of the so-called ‘vertrouwenspersonen’ or ‘confidants’ for each ministry and public relations assistance where necessary,” Jacobs said.
The implementation of the Integrity Chamber of St. Maarten was the result of an agreement between St. Maarten and the Netherlands to establish an independent administrative body which, independently of the St. Maarten government or its entities, advises or presents proposals regarding policy to enhance integrity and ultimately improve confidence in government and in the country overall.
