PHILIPSBURG--Parliament adopted three laws on Monday bringing into force a diplomatic identification card for honorary and visiting consuls, speeding up the process of executing sanctions from the United Nations and the European Union (EU) and formalizing the consultation process for civil servants via their unions.
All three laws were tabled by General Affairs Minister/Prime Minister William Marlin in a plenary session, chaired by Parliament Chairwoman Sarah Wescot-Williams. The laws on the ID cards and consultation process passed unanimously. However, the change to the sanction ordinance received two “no” votes from Members of Parliament (MPs) Franklin Meyers and Sidharth Bijlani, both of the United People’s (UP) party.
The change to the Sanctions Ordinance allows for the swift freezing of accounts and seizing of assets via a more streamlined process to be followed by the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten and the Financial Intelligence Unit MOT.
An evaluation of the compliance process by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had found the then existing process too labour intensive. The adopted amendment will see the issuance of a ministerial decree or regulation depending on the circumstance, in stand of a national decree (a lengthier process).
Another change is that assets will not be unfrozen after three years, instead the thawing will occur when the sanction is lifted by either the UN or EU.
The change the law was outlined in Recommendation VI of FATF which called for the implementation without delay of the restrictive measures related to sanctions.
The introduction of the diplomatic ID card in keeping with the terms of international treaties and agreements to which the country is signatory, as part of the Dutch Kingdom.
The ID card will identify consuls and their staff to authorities and will allow them to conduct their country’s business without hindrance. The card will not create immunity for the bearer.
The cost of the issuance of the cards will be borne by St. Maarten via a post in the Foreign Affairs Department budget, which totals some NAf. 5,200. No cost will be passed on to the eventual cardholders.
The amendment to the law was necessary because the current framework calls for anyone issued an ID to be registered in the Civil Registry as residing in the country. In several cases, the career and honorary consuls do not reside in the country.
The diplomatic ID cards will be issued to the Consul of the Dominican Republic and three staff members residing on St. Maarten, and the honorary consuls of Canada, France, India and Sweden who also reside in the country. Cards will also be issued to the honorary consuls of Austria, Germany, Finland, and the consuls general of China and the United States among others, who reside in Curaçao, Aruba and the Netherlands.
