Participants in a previous IPKO.
THE HAGUE--The Parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and the Netherlands are gathering in The Hague June 1-5 for the Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultation IPKO.
Under chairmanship of chairperson of the Permanent Committee for Kingdom Relations of the Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament Mariëlle Paul, delegations will discuss a number of mutual themes: Climate change and adaptation, the next Kingdom Conference, data protection within the Kingdom and the carry-over effect and processing of colonialism and the slavery past.
The IPKO starts on Thursday, June 1, with the customary opening speeches of the delegation leaders. The delegations will each give a presentation on the recent developments in their respective countries.
This time the opening meeting will not take place at the First Chamber, the Senate, but at the international press centre Nieuwspoort. Following the official opening, delegations will talk about data protection within the Kingdom.
On Friday, June 2, the IPKO gathers at the plenary hall of the Second Chamber where discussions will focus on the further implementation of the recommendations from the report of the Advisory College Dialogue Group Slavery Past. Delegations will exchange thoughts with quartermasters of the National Slavery Museum John Leerdam and Peggy Brandon.
Also on Friday, delegations will discuss climate change and policy within the Kingdom. Quartermaster for the Bonaire Climate Table Ed Nijpels will give a presentation about his recent advice.
Education within the Kingdom is another theme the delegations will discuss. The parliaments will talk about the steps that have been taken to facilitate the process of Dutch Caribbean students who come to the Netherlands to study. National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen, who wrote a report about this group of students and the challenges they face, will give a presentation.
On Saturday, June 3, the delegations will pay a working visit to the city of Delft, in particular the Green Village of Delft Technical University. The Green Village is a field lab for sustainable innovation in an urban setting.
The IPKO closes on Monday, June 5, with approval and signing of the agreement list and a joint press conference of the chairpersons of the four delegations.
One day before the IPKO starts, on Thursday, May 31, the Parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten will meet in a tripartite setting to strategise and to discuss common issues.
