THE HAGUE—July 4th, 2022. A delegation of the Social Economic Council (SER) paid a courtesy visit to the cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten, where they were welcomed by the Honorable Minister Plenipotentiary Rene Violenus, Cabinet Director, Carol Voges, and Senior Economic Policy Advisor, Prakaash Rostam.
After introductions, the conversation focused on the work method and the recent published advices of the SER. Furthermore, the social and economic development of Sint Maarten and the relations between the SER and similar institutions were discussed. SER Chairman and Minister Violenus also shared their views on the challenges of Sint Maarten connected to the COVID-19 pandemic and some elements of the proposed Caribbean Body for Reform and Development (COHO) and how these challenges will impact the development path of Sint Maarten and its people.
Earlier in that same week, SER Sint Maarten made use of the opportunity to strengthen its ties with the SERs of Aruba, Curacao and the Netherlands. The SERs of the Kingdom met in the Hague to discuss continued cooperation, exchange of best practices and coordinate joint collaboration on future events.
Over the entire week, SER Sint Maarten succeeded in establishing a valuable network of contacts with several organizations in Dutch cities of Amsterdam, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, and The Hague. The delegation consisted of Chairman Damian Richardson and Secretary-General, Gerard Richardson.