About the Statia Government

Sint Eustatius, often referred to as Statia, is a special municipality of the Netherlands and one of three public entities in the Caribbean. Together with Saba and Bonaire, it forms the BES Islands.

While its governmental structure mirrors that of a Dutch municipality, it operates independently of any Dutch province. The island of Sint Eustatius is governed by a democratically elected Island Council, an Island Governor, and an Executive Council.

Relationship with the Netherlands

The RCN (National Office for the Caribbean Netherlands)  is the link between the ministries that are present on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.

Each ministry is individually responsible for the introduction and implementation of policy of the respective ministry. For the correct execution and support, they call on the central services of the RCN.

The RCN provides this central support to all active ministries on the three islands. This central support can include formal employment practices, business operations such as facilities management, housing, ICT, human resources and training.

The central government in the Netherlands has twelve ministries. These ministries work on legislative proposals, rules and policy plans. Not all ministries are directly represented on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. This applies, for example, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence.

The Kingdom Representative

The Kingdom Representative has a variety of responsibilities in the Caribbean Netherlands. He serves as the ‘eyes and ears’ of various Ministers in the Netherlands and keeps the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) informed. He also submits proposals for royal honours, along with his advice and that of the Governor, to the Civil Honours Council in The Hague. As of 1 January 2018, Jan Helmond has been serving as the acting Kingdom Representative.

Our Ambitions

The Government of Sint Eustatius is dedicated to making meaningful improvements across various sectors. Our ambitions for 2024-2027 include:

  1. Well-being: a focus on community
    • A compassionate community ready for the future
  2. Prosperity: a focus on economy
    • An economy that develops and diversifies
  3. Circularity: a focus on (digital) infrastructure
    • Affordable and reliable connections
  4. Good governance: a focus on knowledge and clear processes and procedures
    • A government that’s works with and for Statians.