by Cdr. Bud Slabbaert

The Caribbean will make Renewal certain, and Renewal will be the new status symbol. The Caribbean sets a new global standard of restorative luxury. Luxury that gives you your life back. The Caribbean concept where science, ritual, and climate restore what the world has taken. Those may become the headlines in the media and tourism promotion. But there must be substance behind those appealing catchlines. That is where thinking and action begins. Yet, only a handful of places in the region can carry that weight.

The first step would be choosing the first pilot location, the place that becomes the prototype for the entire region. The prototype of Caribbean Renewal needs to be more than just beautiful. It must be medically credible, culturally resonant, logistically feasible, and symbolically powerful enough. This prototype sets the standard for the entire region. It creates a repeatable model for other islands in the region with their own strengths. It gives the Caribbean a new brand and a global wellness category that no other region can replicate.

The strategic value for the Caribbean island is that the new Renewal concept becomes a new tourism classification. It positions itself not as a place to escape to, but a place to heal in, and healing is not an appointment. Maybe a whole island will be able to implement the concept, but rather just a district that can be a renewal ecosystem rather than a facility. It can be GDP multiplier for small islands.

Many, maybe most people living in the Caribbean may have never heard of the two words ‘Bohío’ and ‘Cohoba’. Bohío and Cohoba sit at the heart of Taíno civilization. The Taíno were an Indigenous Arawakan people who inhabited much of the Caribbean prior to European arrival.

The unique Caribbean model shall be a Renewal ecosystem grounded in indigenous wisdom and modern science. A Renewal concept inspired by Taíno and Arawak philosophy that will not imitate a spa concept as found in many settings; it would embody a place‑based, culturally rooted system of renewal. Afro‑Caribbean herbal knowledge can be integrated into treatments. Positioned as where Caribbean healing meets centuries of tradition. The concept will create a bridge between ancestral knowledge and evidence‑based wellness, strengthening cultural authenticity. Authenticity, the appealing word used in many tourism promotions.  

The next step is to determine which Taíno practices can fit the concept while respecting their culture. These practices represent a place-based wellness philosophy rooted in nature, ritual, community, and the Caribbean environment. Taíno healing followed a holistic worldview that linked physical, emotional, and spiritual health, focusing on harmony with nature, communal support, and rituals. Health was seen as balancing self and environment, a principle similar to modern integrative medicine.

Bohío and Cohoba represent two complementary sides of Taíno life - the Bohío as a symbol of rootedness and belonging, the Cohoba as a symbol of insight, transformation, and ancestral memory. They can be reinterpreted for modern Caribbean identity, one grounded the Taíno in the physical world; the other connected them to the visionary. Cultural and authenticity elevation makes these views especially potent when shaping a narrative or brand language, these two elements can become powerful pillars.

Most tourism destinations in the Caribbean sit on the same traditional continuum of engineered environments for human vacation pleasure. A long history of healing tourism dating back to a thousand years ago. This gives a heritage‑based wellness identity that feels authentic, not manufactured. The new Renewal tourism concept differentiates the region or chosen island from spa‑style individualism and roots it in Caribbean cultural continuity.

This may be the opportunity for the Caribbean to step into its role as the world’s capital of human renewal as the rarest, most valuable experience - yet offered with the confidence of a region that really doesn’t need to shout. A distinctive Renewal model that blends medical credibility and ancestral, nature‑rooted healing into rarefied power that is a public luxury.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) looks back on the Unity Jump-Up held on Friday, March 29, 2026, which commenced shortly after 8:00 PM.

Overall, the event proceeded without any serious incidents, and the general atmosphere remained orderly and festive. KPSM acknowledges the cooperation of the majority of participants and spectators who contributed to the safe execution of this large-scale public event.

However, officers faced several challenges, particularly in traffic management. Despite prior public notifications that Union Road would be closed from 7:30 PM up to the Kruythoff Roundabout to facilitate safety measures and allow officers to manage remaining traffic, several drivers insisted on accessing the closed roadway.

In one notable incident, a driver forcibly bypassed a road closure and failed to comply with a lawful stop order issued by police. The individual was subsequently apprehended, arrested, and fined.

During the Jump-Up, four individuals were arrested for various offenses, including disorderly conduct. Additionally, fines totaling just over $3,000 were issued for violations committed throughout the event.

KPSM emphasizes that strict enforcement will continue as the Carnival season progresses. Individuals who fail to follow lawful orders or engage in disruptive or unlawful behavior will be dealt with accordingly.

The Police Force remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all residents and visitors during this festive period and urges the public to cooperate fully with all safety measures put in place.

St. Maarten marine conservationist and environmental policy specialist Tadzio Bervoets will be a featured speaker at the Caribbean Studies Association’s 50th Annual Conference, scheduled for June 1 to 5, 2026, in Kingston, Jamaica. He will present on the paper “Conservation Colonialism and the Persistence of Fortress Management in the Dutch and French Caribbean,” a contribution that examines how external governance systems, metropolitan policy structures, and donor-driven conservation models continue to shape environmental management in parts of the Caribbean.

The paper argues that conservation governance in the Dutch and French Caribbean remains constrained by externalized leadership, top-down administrative systems, and forms of fortress management that can marginalize local knowledge, community participation, and Caribbean-led institutional development. It calls for stronger institutional autonomy, leadership localization, community co-management, and fuller recognition of Indigenous, Afro-Caribbean, and other local ecological knowledge within conservation policy and practice.

The Caribbean Studies Association, widely known as CSA, is an independent professional organization devoted to the promotion of Caribbean studies from a multidisciplinary and multicultural perspective. It is regarded as a major forum for scholars, practitioners, artists, writers, and policy professionals working across the Caribbean region and its diasporas. The 2026 meeting in Kingston will mark the organization’s 50th annual conference and will be held under the theme “Caribbean Vibes and Vibrations: Culture, Identity and Development in Transformative Times.”

Persons interested in attending can register through the official CSA conference registration and membership pages, which are listed on the association’s conference information portal. The association also provides conference agenda links, hotel information, travel information, and related updates through its official website.

Bervoets brings more than 18 years of experience working across Small Island Developing States and the wider Caribbean in marine conservation, climate governance, protected area management, and environmental policy. His current roles include Chairperson of the UNESCO IOC Ocean Decade Task Force for Latin America and engagement with the Coral restoration Consortium, He previously served as the Project Leader at the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund and as Director of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance and has held a range of technical and leadership roles connected to coral reef conservation, shark protection, marine policy, and community engagement. 

His academic background includes a Master of Science, awarded cum laude, in Environmental Resource Management from VU University Amsterdam, with a specialization in coral reef and littoral ecosystem management, as well as a Bachelor of Arts, awarded summa cum laude, from the University of South Florida in International Studies, with minors including Latin America and Caribbean Studies. 

Bervoets has also contributed to regional and international conservation discourse through scientific publications, policy work, and public engagement. His record includes peer-reviewed work on seagrass carbon dynamics, elasmobranch conservation, coral reef biodiversity, and large marine protected areas, alongside senior advisory and coordination roles in regional environmental governance. 

His upcoming presentation at CSA places questions of power, representation, and institutional control at the center of Caribbean conservation debates. At a time when the region continues to confront climate pressures, biodiversity loss, and uneven governance structures, the paper contributes to a wider discussion on how conservation in the Caribbean can become more locally grounded, socially legitimate, and institutionally Caribbean-led.

PHILIPSBURG:--- In March 2026, a legal advisory prepared by Professor Arjen van Rijn was submitted to the Council of Ministers of Sint Maarten, addressing a critical constitutional issue: the role and limits of the Governor within the country’s governance system.

The advisory was prompted by a January 2026 incident involving administrative decision-making and subsequent actions that raised serious constitutional concerns. At its core, the document examines whether the Governor acted within his legal authority—or whether those actions risked undermining democratic governance.

Background: The Incident That Triggered the Advisory

The issue began with an incident on January 7, 2026, involving disciplinary action against a civil servant. The government imposed an immediate administrative measure, followed by a suspension decision that required formal approval by a national decree.

However, complications arose during the decision-making process:

• The Governor intervened in the Council of Ministers’ proceedings
• The Prime Minister and another minister were reportedly prevented from attending a meeting
• The Governor participated in deliberations with an advisory vote
• The Governor returned and delayed signing the decree, requesting further review

These actions led to confusion over authority and raised questions about whether constitutional boundaries had been crossed.

The Core Constitutional Question

The advisory focuses on a fundamental issue:

What are the legal limits of the Governor’s authority within Sint Maarten’s constitutional framework?

To answer this, the advisory examines the Governor’s dual role and the principle of ministerial responsibility.

The Dual Role of the Governor

The Governor of Sint Maarten operates in two distinct capacities:

1. Constitutional Head of Government (National Role)

In this role, the Governor:

• Represents the King within Sint Maarten
• Forms part of the government together with the ministers
• Acts formally as the head of the executive

However, crucially:

• The Governor has no independent governing authority
• All actions fall under ministerial responsibility
• Ministers—not the Governor—are politically accountable to Parliament

2. Representative of the Kingdom Government (Kingdom Role)

In this capacity, the Governor:

• Safeguards the interests of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Ensures compliance with Kingdom law
• May intervene if national decisions conflict with Kingdom interests

This role includes a key power:

• The ability to refuse to sign a decree and escalate it to the Kingdom government

A Fundamental Principle: No Independent Power

A central conclusion of the advisory is:

The Governor does not possess independent decision-making authority within the national government.

Instead, the Governor’s role is limited to:

• Being consulted
• Offering advice
• Providing warnings
• Encouraging reconsideration

But ultimately:

The ministers decide—and the Governor must follow.

This principle is rooted in parliamentary democracy: elected officials must hold power, not appointed representatives.

“No Third Way”: A Critical Doctrine

One of the most important legal conclusions in the advisory is the rejection of a so-called “third role” for the Governor.

The Governor can act only as:

1. Head of government (without independent power), OR
2. Kingdom representative (with escalation powers)

There is no middle ground where the Governor acts as an independent constitutional guardian with autonomous authority.

Allowing such a “third way” would:

• Undermine democratic accountability
• Blur lines of responsibility
• Concentrate unelected power in a non-political office

Historical Context: The Van der Meer Affair

The advisory draws on precedent, particularly the Van der Meer affair, which clarified that:

• The Governor may form opinions and engage in discussion
• But in case of disagreement, ministers have the final say
• The Governor must ultimately “sign at the dotted line”

This historical case reinforces the doctrine that the Governor’s authority is subordinate in national governance matters.

Assessment of the Governor’s Actions in the 2026 Case

The advisory concludes that the Governor exceeded his authority in several ways:

1. Interfering with Ministerial Participation

The Governor informed certain ministers that they could not attend a Council meeting.

• This is problematic because:
  • The Council of Ministers determines its own functioning
  • The Governor has no authority to exclude ministers

2. Participating Actively in Cabinet Deliberations

The Governor attended and engaged in discussions with an advisory vote.

• This is considered inappropriate because:
  • The Governor should remain above political decision-making
  • Active participation risks politicizing the office

3. Influencing Policy Direction

Decisions taken in meetings suggested a shift in policy direction influenced by the Governor.

• This undermines:
  • The political primacy of elected officials
  • The authority of the Prime Minister

Democratic Risks Identified

The advisory warns that such actions pose serious risks:

• Erosion of ministerial responsibility
• Weakening of democratic legitimacy
• Blurring of constitutional roles
• Potential constitutional crisis

A key insight:

The Governor is not democratically accountable, while ministers are. Therefore, the Governor must not take on a political role.

The Proper Use of Governor’s Powers

The advisory clarifies what the Governor should do in contentious situations:

1. Advise and warn ministers
2. Respect ministerial decision-making
3. If necessary, refuse to sign a decree
4. Immediately refer the matter to the Kingdom government

This ensures:

• Legal oversight without undermining democracy
• Clear accountability structures

Resolution of the Case

Eventually, after legal developments:

• A revised decree was submitted
• The Governor signed it
• The proper constitutional procedure was restored

This outcome aligned with the correct legal framework.

Final Conclusions of the Advisory

The advisory reaches a strong and unequivocal conclusion:

• The Governor’s actions exceeded constitutional limits
• They undermined the authority of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers
• They were constitutionally and democratically unacceptable

Recommendations

The advisory urges the government to:

• Clearly reaffirm constitutional boundaries
• Engage in dialogue with the Governor
• Prevent recurrence of similar situations
• Protect the primacy of democratic governance

It also warns against allowing precedents that could gradually expand the Governor’s role beyond its legal limits.

Conclusion

This advisory highlights a fundamental tension in constitutional systems that combine local autonomy with Kingdom oversight. While the Governor plays an essential role in safeguarding legal order, that role must remain strictly limited.

The key takeaway is clear:

Democratic authority must remain with elected officials.
The Governor advises, safeguards, and escalates—but does not govern.

Click here to read Professor Van Rijn's advice to Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina.