Erwin Arkenbout
PHILIPSBURG--Representative of the Netherlands for Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten Erwin Arkenbout recently said farewell to colleagues and friends as his term comes to an end.
Arkenbout has served as the Representative of the Netherlands for the last four years, but has had an extensive career in the field of Kingdom Relations overall.
Highlighting Arkenbout’s career in his speech, head of the Dutch Representation office in Philipsburg VNP, Chris Johnson, gave an overview of Arkenbout’s various functions. His first role in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom started 20 years ago in St. Maarten as a legal advisor to then Lieutenant Governor Franklin Richards when he worked and lived on St Maarten. Some years after, in 2012, he became director of Kingdom Relations in The Hague for BZK and served there for five years. It was after this, and after the extensive damage of Hurricane Irma, that Erwin became head of the civil mission on behalf of the Dutch government for four months. In the next year, 2018, Arkenbout took up the position of Dutch Representative for the three countries in the Dutch Caribbean, Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten.
In his farewell remarks Arkenbout highlighted many of the experiences of his career, and especially his deep appreciation for the islands and their people. He talked about the challenges, but also the accomplishments that all involved can be proud of. He thanked the many people he worked with, and the entities, both governmental and civil, for all the work they do on a daily basis.
The sentiments from those he contacted were very much based on appreciation for the warmth and personal attention brought by Erwin in all his fields over the last 20 years; he will be missed by many.
Arkenbout and his wife Mariette will return to the Netherlands next month where he will be working as a legal advisor to the ministry of home affairs BZK.
